Danger Of Strong Electromagnetic Fields

blueworld writes "U.S. Department of Energy researchers have discovered a possible cause for reported illness around high voltage power lines. They found that rats' bodies produced high levels of ozone when exposed to strong electrical fields. Electrically grounded water produced the same result when exposed to the fields. Apparently, the water in our bodies may be responsible for the health risks of high voltage power lines."

Comments

Ways to cope?

[spin2cool]

Before running out and unplugging your negative=ion air-freshener, keep in mind that the rats were consistently positioned extremely close to the source. This is a different condition than would be experienced in most situations.

Still, the study identifies another potential health risk. So, what are some ways that we can reduce the potential damage? Some sort of sheilding on power lines? Are there any materials that can cheaply stop this type of radiation and it's effects?

A diet high in anti-oxidants is one easy way to at least limit the damage... (Free radicals caused by the decomposition of 03 as it attacks are responsible for much of the damage. Anti-oxidants can help prevent this).

Re:Ways to cope?

[barakn]

just think about the inverse square law

I thought about it, and realized it applies to point sources, while a power line is a linear source following an inverse law, at least when one is closer to the line than the line is long.

Re:the article is wrong

[ed333]

Actually, it says that exposure to the coronal discharge from a strong electromagnetic field causes ozone production in animals.

From the article:

"Negative-ion air generators usually don't produce much ozone and there is evidence that negative ions do clean the air and may provide health benefits."

So, perhaps you should read a bit closer.

I knew It!

[sjoplin]

Dihydrogen Monoxide: It really is the invisible killer.

Scientific Urban Legend

[Michael.Forman]

The jump to link this observed creation of ozone with the popularly held belief that power lines adversely affect health is erroneous.

In the original study which created the popular myth that power lines cause illness, the authors correctly found a correlation between living in the proximity of power lines and leukemia rates but never found causation. After much debate it was revealed years later that traffic density has an even greater correlation with the observed leukemia rates and provides a well understood and now obvious causation -- pollution. It just happens that power lines exist in areas of greater traffic density. Unfortunately, the general public was never copied on the second corrected paper and to this day believe that power lines have adverse health effects, when they instead should be worried about pollution from traffic.

Although the article states that the creation of ozone around power lines could be a health risk, the quantity of ozone created for various transmission structures is never quantified and nor compared with ambient urban polution. Thus at worst it is yet another vehicle for the propagation of a scientific urban legend or at best a warning to shut of indoor air ionizers whose output of ozone can lead to concentrations in excess those present of ambient pollution levels.

Michael.