The Production and Control of Electromagnetic Fields
This article will review current information regarding the production of electromagnetic radiation (EMFs), links to human health problems, and engineering solutions designed to control these problems.
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs), also known as electromagnetic radiation, consist of two distinct types: ionizing and non ionizing. On the EMF Spectrum, above visible light and starting in the ultra violet frequencies, ionizing radiation has sufficient capacity to break a chemical bond and thereby destabilize an atom or molecule. Included in these frequencies are X rays and gamma rays. These high frequencies, characterized by short wavelengths and great amounts of energy, cause ionization, which can cause damage to genetic material (Bioelectromagnetic, 1996).
Non ionizing radiation starts at visible light and continues downward. It includes microwaves and radio frequencies (RF), with frequency ranges such as ultra high frequency (UHF), very high frequency (VHF), very low frequency (VLF), and extremely low frequency (ELF). ELF includes 60 cycle (60 Hertz, or Hz) household current, electric, and magnetic Fields (Bioelectromagnetic, 1996).
The electromagnetic spectrum covers an enormous range of frequencies, which are expressed in cycles per second, called Hertz, or Hz. Electric power (60 Hz in North America, 50 Hz elsewhere) is in the extremely low frequency (ELF) range, which includes frequencies below 3,000 Hz. In general, the higher the frequency, the greater the amount of energy in the field. Electric fields close to transmission lines are much stronger than the fields found near electrical appliances, but they are reduced in strength by objects such as buildings, trees, and vehicles. Magnetic fields very close to electrical appliances are often stronger than the fields directly beneath power lines, but they decrease in strength with distance more quickly than do po...