Abstract
Schools are an important place for children’s exposure to electromagnetic fields, which may cause adverse health effects. To better understand environmental extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) exposure among elementary school students, we measured numeric values of ELF-MFs in five classrooms at four schools during digital learning class hours. The measurement of ELF-MFs was taken with an EMDEX II field analyzer. Specifically, we examined the level of exposure to ELF-MFs for each student’s seating position in the classroom. The results showed that ELF-MFs exposure levels were lower than those in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines; however, there were significant differences in the level of magnetic field exposure at each school and at each student’s seat. The exposure to ELF-MFs at students’ seat positions was mostly caused by electrical appliances, electronic wiring, and distribution boxes, but the exposure level decreased as the distance increased. Therefore, it is important to design safe and appropriate environments for digital learning in schools, such as proper seating arrangements, to avoid ELF-MFs exposure to students as much as possible. Future studies should measure ELF-MFs levels in other areas and investigate the effects of exposure to ELF-MFs during school hours on children’s health.
Highlights
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) exist wherever electricity is generated, transmitted or distributed in power lines or cables, or used in electrical appliances
Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and childhood leukemia [6,7,8,9,10,11], which has led to their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a “possible human carcinogen” (Group 2B) [1,12] in 2002
The average ELF-MFs exposure in all schools measured in this study was lower than the standard level for the general public recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines [22]
Summary
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) exist wherever electricity is generated, transmitted or distributed in power lines or cables, or used in electrical appliances. The use of electrical devices has increased every year due to increasing demands and population growth; the possibility of exposure to EMFs has increased. Exposure to external electric and magnetic fields at extremely low frequencies induces electric fields and currents inside the body [1]. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and childhood leukemia [6,7,8,9,10,11], which has led to their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a “possible human carcinogen” (Group 2B) [1,12] in 2002. The association between exposure to ELF-MFs and the risk of childhood cancer has been extensively investigated in epidemiological studies [13,14,15,16]. Studies on disorders of cognitive function [17,18,19], disorders of memory performance, headaches, and sleep disorders [20,21] in relation to EMFs have been conducted
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