Study of Electromagnetic Field Radiation on the Human Muscle Activity

Abstract

The use of electrical appliances has enhanced man’s quality of life. As a result, the demand for electricity rapidly increased. Although electricity provides advantages to their daily living, people are exposed to the associated electromagnetic field radiation, generally without realizing it. This study evaluates the impact of electromagnetic field radiation on the human muscles by using electromyography (EMG) apparatus. Radiation is measured inside the office room furnished by fluorescent lights as well as a computer with liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube (CRT) screen. 17 subjects with no history of chronic musculoskeletal or abdominal pain participated in this study. The electromyograms (EMGs) of four forearm muscles, namely the flexor carpi radialis (FCR), extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) are recorded with a sampling rate of 2000 Hz. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) is performed to determine the impact of electromagnetic field radiation on the muscles. It is found that CRT radiation with fluorescent light (Case 5) has the highest effect on root mean square (RMS) of EMG. The RMS of EMG is increased from Case 1 (without any radiation) to Case 5 by 11.9 % for the FCR muscle, 12.0 % for the ECRL muscle, 12.1 % for the ECU muscle, and 11.8 % for the FCU muscle. Furthermore, the extensor muscles are shown to be more active compared to flexor muscles in RMS of EMG by 52.6 % when exposed to the radiation. The muscle is observed to be more active when the electromagnetic field radiation is increased.