EMF's have come under close scrutiny by electric utilities, public and private health agencies and the general public. This focus stems partly from some studies which indicate a possible association between EMF and adverse human health effects.

Voltage, the electrical force that causes current to flow in a conductor, produces an electric field whether or not the current is flowing. A plugged-in lamp cord, for example, creates an electric field whether the lamp is on or off. A magnetic field is created only when the lamp is turned on.

Unfortunately, it is much easier to define EMF than it is to pinpoint its effects - if any - on human health, livestock or crops.

Studies concerning electric fields have been conducted since the 1970s and researchers have generally concluded that electric fields present no adverse health risks. However, the results of research involving possible health effects of magnetic fields remain inconclusive.

In 1979, researchers Dr. Nancy Worthheimer and Mr. Ed Leeper reported an apparent association between childhood leukemia and the size and number of wires on power poles in a Denver neighborhood.

Worthheimer and Leeper assumed bigger wires produced higher magnetic field levels in nearby homes, but they did not measure the strength of the fields.

Nearly a decade later, in 1988, Dr. David Savitz recreated the Denver study. Savitz, however, actually measured the strength of the electric and magnetic fields in some of the homes. Savitz also reported a slightly higher-than-normal rate of cancer among children living near power lines, but did not find an association between cancer and measured EMF levels.

Other research has focused on workers in electrical occupations. In 1985, Savitz and Dr. Eugenia Calle looked at health study records for 10 different categories of electrical workers in Wisconsin. They reported higher-than-normal rates of leukemia among two categories, radio and telegraph operators and electrical engineers. But they did not find higher rates in other job categories, such as power line workers and power plant operators.

Much of the controversy surrounding EMF centers on conflicting or inconclusive results from studies such as these. That’s why nearly everyone agrees more research is needed.

Currently, independent laboratories, major universities and government agencies around the world are conducting numerous EMF studies. It is hoped that these controlled laboratory experiments will provide conclusive answers regarding the health effects of EMF, if any.

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