Re: E-M fields health risks

[David Bowman <David_Bowman@GEORGETOWNCOLLEGE.EDU>]

Regarding Mark S.'s comment:

> From a public health point-of-view the risks from EM radiation from power
> lines probably is much lower than the risks encountered from the generation
> of the electricity in the first place.

This is *especially* so considering that from a physical point of view
power lines do not even emit hardly *any* EM radiation in the first
place.  At 50/60 Hz the wavelength for EM radiation is about
6000/5000 km.  The ratio of the distance between conductors (carrying the
differently directed currents in a power line) to such a wavelength is
*extremely* small.  And the radiated power is an immeasurably small
amount compared to the power carried along the line and the power
dissipated in it.

In any event, as I recall, all the fuss about power lines had nothing to
do with their radiation, but with their *non-radiating* oscillatory
near-field magnetic fields.  (But I agree with Mark that even the risk
associated those near-fields is probably much lower that the risks
related to the generation process.)

David Bowman
David_Bowman@georgetowncollege.edu