Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF)
Northeast Utilities' (NU) mission is to reliably and safely deliver electric power to its customers at a reasonable price and in a responsible manner. The following information will help you better understand the issue of potential health effects from exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF) and what NU is doing on the issue. Read our EMF informational flyer.
The issue
EMF background information
Scientific studies
NU's commitment to safety & health: What we're doing
Where to get more information
The issue
While everyone is aware of obvious safety issues related to electricity, such as electric shock, some scientists have raised questions about possible health effects from exposure to EMF near power lines, electric appliances and other sources.
Watch a fact-filled, easy-to-understand video (548 kbps, 8 mins.) about sources of EMF, recommendations of scientific organizations and ways in which electric utilities can design transmission lines to reduce magnetic field levels at the edges of rights-of-way.
EMF background information
EMF are produced through the generation, transmission, and use of electric power. We encounter alternating current (AC) EMF throughout our daily activities at work and at home. Common sources of EMF in our homes include fields generated by appliances, the home wiring that brings power to those appliances, and the nearby distribution lines that supply electricity to our homes.
The electric power delivery system in the United States is constructed primarily of 60 hertz (Hz) AC transmission and distribution lines. High-voltage transmission lines move bulk power from power plants to distribution substations, and from there, lower-voltage distribution lines deliver electricity to our homes and businesses.
As you may remember from science class, electric fields are produced by voltage, while magnetic fields are produced by currents. Voltage is the pressure behind the flow of electric currents.
AC electricity alternates back and forth -- 60 times per second, or at 60 Hz. Because the electric and magnetic fields associated with AC electricity are at the very low end of the electromagnetic spectrum, they are called "extremely low frequency" (ELF) fields.
Scientific studies
Over the past 30 years, many scientific studies have been conducted to determine whether these fields affect biological systems and health. Media attention to this research has prompted some of our customers to bring their questions and concerns to us.
To help scientists address questions about EMF, our companies joined with many others during the 1990s to provide funds for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to run the EMF Research and Public Information Dissemination Program so that independent scientists could determine whether exposure to EMF involves a risk to human health.
At the conclusion of this research program in 1999, the Director of the NIEHS reported to Congress that:
"The probability that ELF-EMF exposure is truly a health hazard is currently small. The weak epidemiological associations and lack of any laboratory support for these associations provide only marginal, scientific support that exposure to this agent is causing any degree of harm."
In June 2007, the World Health Organization advised a general policy approach as follows:
"Given both the weakness of the evidence for a link between exposure to ELF magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia, and the limited impact on public health if there is a link, the benefits of exposure reduction on health are unclear. Thus the costs of precautionary measures should be very low."
The recommendations of the World Health Organization included:
"When constructing new facilities and designing new equipment, including appliances, low-cost ways of reducing exposures may be explored. Appropriate exposure reduction measures will vary from one country to another. However, policies based on the adoption of arbitrary low exposure limits are not warranted."
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has developed an "EMF & Your Health" brochure to help explain the complex issue of EMF to the general public. The brochure, published on December 30, 2011, covers the physical nature of electric and magnetic fields, the health research and its findings, our everyday exposures to EMF, and the conclusions reached by scientific panels and policy makers.
NU's commitment to safety & health: What we're doing
NU's efforts to address the issues raised by research and the concerns of some customers are focused on the following activities:
- Providing information - NU has assigned employees to monitor EMF developments, provide information, respond to customer and employee questions, and recommend actions to management. We rely on the consensus of scientific organizations such as the NIEHS, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization, which have reviewed the large body of scientific research regarding EMF and health. At the request of electricians and homebuilders, we can also provide information on home electrical wiring and service grounding practices that can reduce magnetic field levels.
- Taking measurements - Company representatives take measurements of magnetic fields for customers upon request. We provide these measurements to help our customers understand the magnetic field levels associated with various sources in their environment.
- Supporting research - In addition to supporting the national EMF Research and Public Information Dissemination Program, we have long supported independent research on EMF through the Electric Power Research Institute.
- Designing new projects - NU's policy for new transmission line construction is to investigate practical no- and low-cost engineering approaches for reducing magnetic field levels at and beyond the edges of rights-of-way which may be adjacent to residential areas, schools, licensed day-care facilities, licensed youth camps, or public playgrounds. This policy is consistent with a recommendation by the World Health Organization and with the policy expectations of some siting authorities.
Where to get more information
You may contact Northeast Utilities at EMFQuestions@nu.com or 877-993-6377.
Additional information about EMF is available from:
Your Safety & Health
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