About The Grid How the Grid Works Customer & Industry Library Newsroom Contact The Electricity Grid and Your Health Although electricity is a very safe way to power homes and businesses, we know some people worry about electric and magnetic fields (EMFs). To help, we've answered some of your questions on this topic. Home About Health & Safety Across Ireland, we all need to use a lot of electricity in our daily lives. This requires EirGrid to transmit large amounts of electricity. When we do so, we must obey all laws, and meet all applicable health and safety standards. The main safety risk with high voltage electricity transmission is accidental electrocution – and this is a very low risk. To protect against this risk, we send this energy on wires carried by poles and pylons, or buried underground in cables. However, some people have genuine concerns about the electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) found near electricity lines and cables. The information below explains the facts about EMFs, based on current information from health and scientic agencies. What are EMFs? When electric current flows, both electric and magnetic fields are produced. The EMFs from electricity are in the extremely low frequency end of the electro-magnetic spectrum. They occur in the home, in the workplace, or anywhere we use electricity. However, people everywhere are exposed to EMFs wherever they live, not just from electricity lines. Natural sources of EMFs include the earth’s geomagnetic field, and electric fields from storm clouds. EMFs occur anywhere that electricity is generated, transmitted or used. Apart from power lines, this includes electrical appliances and wiring in our homes and businesses. Like other issues related to man-made technologies, extremely low-frequency EMFs have been measured, researched and closely monitored. The consensus from health and regulatory authorities is that extremely low frequency EMFs do not present a health risk. Are EMFs the same as radiation? No. The fields resulting from electricity are fundamentally different from x-ray and gamma ray radiation. Although they are all forms of electromagnetic energy, there are important and fundamental differences. The term radiation usually refers to electromagnetic energy that falls at the ionising end of the spectrum. This kind of energy is capable of breaking bonds in molecules. This damages our basic biological building blocks – the DNA of our cells. Only the high-frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is ionising. This includes x-rays and gamma rays. EMFs from the electricity grid are non-ionising. This term means that they do not have enough energy to cause damage to human or animal cells in the same way ionising radiation does. Another source of non-ionising energy are EMFs from the earth itself. The non-ionising end of the spectrum also includes radio waves, TV signals, and visible light. Some people fear that EMFs could cause cancer in the same way that ionising radiation does. However, the scientific consensus is that there is no credible way to explain how this could happen. Why do some people say EMFs are harmful? The most common concern about EMFs from power lines is a fear that magnetic fields could be associated with childhood leukaemia. This was first suggested in a 1979 epidemiological study. These kinds of studies look at patterns of disease in populations. While they cannot prove a cause of disease, they can suggest statistical associations that need further investigation. Because of the 1979 study, power lines and childhood cancers have been comprehensively investigated. These investigations included more epidemiological research, as well as laboratory studies. There have been mixed results from subsequent epidemiological studies. Some have reported associations with magnetic fields; others have not. Recent studies conducted in the UK, France, Denmark and the US have not established associations between a home near transmission lines and childhood leukaemia. Crucially, laboratory studies have found no connection and no explanation of how power lines could have this effect. Based on this history and its own review of research, the World Health Organization states there is no evidence to conclude that exposure to low-level EMFs is harmful to human health. This issue has become emotive and controversial for some, as none of us can see EMFs or easily control our exposure to them. There are campaigners who believe any possibility of risk – even unproven – needs action. There are also some people with health problems that they believe are caused by power lines. However, anybody who lives in the modern world has widespread exposure to extremely low-frequency EMFs. This is the case whether or not they live near power lines. The level of EMFs produced by underground power cables and overhead power lines Alternating current underground power cables: See accompanying graph for the level of the magnetic field produced by alternating current underground power cables Compare these figures to the ICNIRP basic restrictions for exposure to alternating magnetic fields, like those emitted by AC cables: 360 microteslas. Figures shown are typical. Magnetic field levels will vary for each installation, and will vary depending on how much power is carried in the cable. Direct current underground power cables: See accompanying graph for the level of the magnetic field produced by direct current underground power cables Compare these figures to the ICNIRP basic restrictions for exposure to static magnetic fields, like those emitted by DC cables: 400,000 microteslas. Figures shown are typical. Magnetic field levels will vary for each installation, and will vary depending on how much power is carried in the cable. Overhead power lines: What EMFs do overhead power lines produce? ICNIRP, an independent body, funded by public health authorities around the world, has investigated the safety of EMFs for decades, and provides guidance on safe levels of exposure. The HSE recommends that ICNIRP guidelines are followed to protect the health of the public. We design the electricity network to make sure that public exposure to EMFs complies with these guidelines. This diagram shows the levels of EMFs measured near power lines at various distances. As you can see, levels of EMFs near electricity infrastructure drop considerably as you move away from the lines. Compare these figures to the ICNIRP basic restrictions for exposure: 9000 volts per metre and 360 microteslas. Figures shown are typical. Measured EMFs will vary for each installation, and magnetic fields will vary depending on how much power is carried on the line. What are the recommendations on exposure to EMFs? Why are there recommendations on exposure to EMFs? Will EMFs be declared hazardous in future? Want to know more? This information is EirGrid’s summary on this topic. We also have it in PDF form here. If you want to investigate further, here are some useful links about EMFs from national and international agencies. International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection: EMFs http://bit.ly/ICNIRP_LF International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection: Power Lines http://bit.ly/ICNIRP_Lines World Health Organization http://bit.ly/WHO_EMF European Commission https://bit.ly/EC-EMF Irish Government http://bit.ly/Ireland_EMF UK Public Health England http://bit.ly/UK_EMF US National Institute of Environmental Health Services http://bit.ly/NIEHS_EMF For more information on the risks in relation to power lines and accidental electrocution, visit ESB Networks website here. EirGrid Group We are a state-owned company that manages and operates the transmission grid across the island of Ireland. Our high-voltage network brings power from generators, and supplies wholesale energy to heavy users. Our grid also supplies the electricity distribution network. We are responsible for a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity: now, and in the future. 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