Assessment of health security zones due to overhead power lines

Abstract

Nowadays we assist to increasing requests aiming to reduce exposure to artificial electromagnetic fields and a more careful use of electrical and wireless technologies. Particular emphasis is put on the exposure to low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF) with the aim of discovering if they have adverse consequences for health. Computational Electromagnetics can play an extremely important role in accessing security zones around High Voltage Power Lines (HVPLs). It is presented the ELF magnetic and electric field security zones around HVPLs for the limits values set by the ICNIRP and also lower levels, i.e. 100 μT and 0.4 μT for the magnetic field, and 5 kV/m and 100 V/m for the electric field. Two types of HVPLs were analyzed: 60 kV and 220 kV. This study was carried out using a 3D numeric simulation tool developed by the author as part of a Research Project financed by the Portuguese Utilities REN and EDP. The fields are calculated for general 3D Line configurations of current carrying conductors. Up to six different lines can be dealt with, with up to four pylons for each line. The magnetic field calculator used is based on the Biot-Savart law. The electric field calculator used is based on the method of images. The conductors are considered filamentary wires of arbitrary geometric configuration with known imposed voltages. The influence of the vegetation is not taken into consideration. It is presented a schematic picture of the magnetic and electric field security zones around these HVPLs.