Author(s)

G. Decat and J. Van Tongerloo

Abstract

A one-week monitoring of the 50 Hz magnetic field was performed on the first floor of houses under a 70, 150, 220 and 380 kV high-voltage transmission line (HVTL). The magnetic field strength depended on the time of day and the day of the week and ranged from 0.1 |j,T to 4.5 |iT. The maximum field value was at least 25 times weaker than the 100 p,T exposure level recommended by the guidelines of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) and nearly 185 times smaller than the 640 pT of the European CENELEC pre-standard. The magnetic fields even produced by the most powerful Belgian HVTL of 380 kV are too weak to interfere with pacemakers. The 0.2 p,T cut-off point used in EMF-epidemiological research for the classif

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