Abstract
Background: There has been rising concern amongst the public regarding their home's proximity to high tension power transmission lines. The primary cause of fear is the impact of the electromagnetic interference (EMI) radiation on the nearby occupants' health. Despite the presence of national permissible limits of EMI radiation, there is still lack of information with regards to the EMI radiation of the types of power lines configuration in Malaysia. Methods: The electric and magnetic fields of several selected power transmission lines were simulated using the EMFACDC software program from the recommendation ITU-T K.90. Five types of power transmission lines available in Malaysia are considered. Results: It was found that the simulated electric and magnetic field levels at all the power lines' right of way (ROW) boundary complies with the prescribed exposure limit. However, the electromagnetic fields (EMF) level increases significantly as the separation distance is reduced from 30m. For a more conservative approach, the ROW can be set at 30m across all transmission voltage level and corridor area condition. Conclusion: It can be concluded that Malaysia's power transmission lines are within the prescribed exposure limits. To further minimize the electric and magnetic field level, it is recommended that the residential building should be built at least 30 meters away from the power transmission lines, especially for the 275kV double circuit, 275/132kV quadruple circuit, and 500kV double circuit lines.
Highlights
The public is getting increasingly concerned about the potential biological and health effects of power transmission lines considering the risk of exposure to electromagnetic interference (EMI) radiation
The average electromagnetic fields (EMF) values recorded for each power lines at right of way (ROW) boundary were portrayed in Table 12.20 In this paper, EMI radiation refers to the disturbance caused by the electric and magnetic field towards a subject
The highest magnetic flux densities at the ROW boundary were simulated from the un-transposed 500 kV double circuit power line under non-conducting ground condition, while the lowest was simulated from the transposed 275/132 kV quadruple circuit under the conducting ground condition, as shown in Table 10.20 Even directly below the overhead power lines, the magnetic field levels are still within the exposure limit recommended by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and European Union (EU).[16,17]
Summary
The public is getting increasingly concerned about the potential biological and health effects of power transmission lines considering the risk of exposure to electromagnetic interference (EMI) radiation. Biological effects are noticeable responses to a stimulus or an environmental change.[1] At an extreme level, electromagnetic fields (EMF) will affect humans' health, such as micro shocks and induced currents in the body.[2] Power transmission lines produce electric and magnetic fields at an extremely low frequency. These transmission lines were sometimes located in close proximity to residential areas, which could potentially increase the exposure level of electromagnetic radiation. To further minimize the electric and magnetic field level, it is recommended that the residential building should be built at least 30 meters away from the power transmission lines, especially for the 275kV double circuit, 275/132kV quadruple circuit, and 500kV double circuit lines
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