Evaluation and measurement of magnetic field exposure over human body near EHV transmission lines

Abstract

Power frequency (50/60 Hz) magnetic field exposure still draws the attention of many researchers worldwide to investigate its harmful effects on living bodies. In light of this attention, as the population increases, the overlap between the power transmission lines and the settlement areas causes a problem (as in the case of exposure in random, residential, commercial and other areas, which lie very near or under the power transmission lines). In this paper, the power frequency magnetic fields, over a human body, at different positions, near extra high voltage (EHV) transmission lines are demonstrated, both analytically and practically. For the analytical part, the human body is approximately simulated as a parallelepiped. Two different positions for a human are selected near 500 and 220 kV power transmission lines. The magnetic field intensity along the vertical center line of the human is calculated. The effects of two different line configurations (for 220 and 500 kV power systems) and human positions, with respect to the transmission line, are considered. The paper also presents the actual practical magnetic field values measured near actual power transmission lines (220 and 500 kV) using a magnetic field measuring instrument. These transmission lines represent parts of the transmission network of the Egyptian united power system, near Cairo and El-Asher of Ramadan, under the actual loads. The results obtained, from the analytical studies and practical measurements, are compared with the international standards of the magnetic field exposures.