Health and safety

The potential health effects of the very low frequency EMFs surrounding power lines and electrical devices are the subject of on-going research and a significant amount of public debate. In workplace environments, where EMF exposures can be up to 10,000 times greater than the average, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued some cautionary advisories but stresses that the data is currently too limited to draw good conclusions.[4]

The potential effects of electromagnetic fields on human health vary widely depending on the frequency and intensity of the fields. For more information on the health effects due to specific parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, see the following articles:

Static electric fields: see Electric shock
Static magnetic fields: see MRI#Safety
Extremely low frequency (ELF): see Power lines#Health concerns
Radio frequency (RF): see Electromagnetic radiation and health
Light: see Laser safety
Ultraviolet (UV): see Sunburn
Gamma rays: see Gamma ray
Mobile telephony: see Mobile phone radiation and health