The potential effect of low-frequency EM fields on the human body

Abstract

The electric power lines and its associated equipments generally produce an electromagnetic noise in their environment, which leads to The coupling between the electromagnetic fields generated by theses overhead power lines and the human body. In this study, we analyzed the experimental characterization of low-frequency electric field in the vicinity of 225kV power line, then, we defined a biological tissue model to examine the level of coupling between this field and the human body using the ellipsoid model. In order to verify the limits with the tolerance thresholds defined by international standards and the dangerous effects on the organs of the human body. The maximum electric field intensities measured were well above the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) reference levels. The dangerous effects to the organs of the human body are expressed in terms of the current density induced in the body, the specific absorption rate and the power absorbed by the body. The shape, the electrical conductivity and the permittivity of the organs human are the most important characteristics that depend on these different effects. This last will be used subsequently to verify the limits with tolerance thresholds defined by international standards and to respond better to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements for occupational and non-occupational exposure.