Electrosmog

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Updated – May 23, 2024

The topic of electrosmog heats up many minds and is discussed extremely controversially.

Laws are intended to keep electrosmog under control with limit values. Country-specific regulations stand in the way of standardizing permissible values. However, electrosmog itself is identical worldwide. Uniform agreements should therefore be obvious.

Differentiation from electromagnetic compatibility (EMC): the EMC directive 2014/30/EU defines specifications for avoiding mutual electromagnetic interference between electrical and electronic devices.

What is electrosmog actually?

The colloquial term refers to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields, such as emissions from electrical installation lines, electrical devices, radio, TV, WLAN, cell phones, GPS, radar, etc.

A distinction is made between low and high frequency radiation sources. Low frequency is, for example, the mains voltage of 230V, which has a frequency of 50 Hz. The railway's overhead lines operate at a voltage of 15 kV at 16.67 Hz.

As soon as current flows through an electrical conductor, a vertically aligned magnetic field is created around it. Direct voltage induces a magnetic direct field, alternating voltage induces an alternating magnetic field due to moving electrical charges.

Since the discovery of electricity, first by Otto von Guericke as part of his electrifying machine, the development of the dynamo machine Ernst Werner from Siemens Until the first electric tram in Berlin in 1881, alternating electric fields accompanied people. But, as Paracelsus proclaimed, the dose makes the poison.

Today we are surrounded every day by a multitude of devices that transmit at a wide variety of frequencies and powers and thus generate additional electromagnetic radiation in varying intensities.

High voltage lines

High-voltage lines carry alternating current with different voltages. A distinction is made between medium (up to 30 kV), high (up to 110 kV) and extra-high voltage lines (over 150 kV -> 220 kV and 380 kV).

The height of high-voltage pylons carrying 50 to 110 kV is 22 m, pylons with 220 kV are around 40 m high, and cable guides carrying 380 kV are installed at a height of 83 m.
The latter emit around 200 V/m and around 20 μT, measured directly under the line on the ground. This means that both measured values are well below the legally specified limits of 500 V/m for the electric field strength and 100 μT for the magnetic flux density.

The highest flux density of around 52 μT can be measured at a lateral distance of 10 m from a 380 kV high-voltage line. At a distance of 50 m, this value shrinks to a tenth. In the middle under the high-voltage line, the maximum value drops by up to 10 %.

At a lateral distance of 50 m from the cable bundle of the high-voltage line, an electric field strength of around 3 V/m is achieved, which corresponds to around 16 % of the field strength that is measured at a distance of 50 cm from a row of switches under a load of around 2,000 W in the apartment .

Transformer stations

Transformer stations reduce the incoming medium voltage to the usual household voltage of 230 / 400 V. During this process, magnetic fields are also emitted.

As with high-voltage lines, transformer systems are also assumed to pose a health hazard. Such systems are usually built using prefabricated concrete construction and have steel slatted ventilation and doors for maintenance tasks.

Measurements at a distance of one meter have 0 V/m and 0.02 μT, in direct contact with the surrounding precast concrete wall an average of 0 V/m and 0.69 μT, and at the ventilation slats 2 V/m and 1.53 μT result. Such low values are not even present in a normal home environment.

Limits

This is where things get complicated, because different frequencies with different intensities represent different stress scenarios, combined with the need for different measurement of limit values.

Another characteristic of limit values is that they are always based only on empirical values. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen also initially did not know the risks of the X-rays named after him when he discovered them on November 8, 1895. Even in 1980, it was not yet known that inadequately shielded radar devices also emit X-rays, although the first X-ray regulation was issued in 1941, which was amended on December 31, 2018 by the amended Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV) and law (StrlSchG) has been replaced. Limit values are also adjusted accordingly as new findings emerge and the limits are set more narrowly.

In general and regardless of any legally established limit values, the greater the distance to the radiation source, the lower the exposure.

The human body's energy consumption, for example from cell phone radiation, is represented in W/kg body weight as a so-called SAR value (Specific Absorption Rate) and measured at a distance of less than 5 mm. It represents the power of electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by one kilo of body weight. The measurement standards apply EN 62209-2 for the body, EN 62209-1 for the head.

Suitable, frequency-dependent Shielding measures reduce radiation exposure considerably.

Low frequency

Here are some examples of electromagnetic radiation (EF), electromagnetic field strength (EMF) from common (low frequency) devices at a distance of 30 cm:

• LED TV
  – EF 54 V/m
  – EMF 0.03 μT
• Notebook display
  – EF 3 V/m
  – EMF 0.03 μT
• Coffee machine
  – EF 75 V/m
  – EMF 0.13 μT
• Vacuum cleaner
  – EF 35 V/m
  – EMF 1.88 μT
• Refrigerator
  – EF 12 V/m
  – EMF 0.2 μT
• Induction cooker
  – EF 80 V/m
  – EMF 0.71 μT
  

Limit values for low-frequency electromagnetic radiation are set out in the Ordinance on electromagnetic fields – 26th BImSchV set for different frequency ranges:

For railway overhead lines (16.67 Hz) and electrical installations (50 Hz), 5 kV/m at 300 μT are referred to as limit values.

High frequency

Cell phones and microwaves emit high frequency (RF) radiation. All values were also measured at a distance of 30 cm. The cell phone's values were also determined when it came into contact with the skin.

• Cell phone (for outgoing calls and poor reception)
  – EF 12 V/m – Skin contact 53 V/m
  – EMF0.05 μT
  – RF (LTE, 2100 MHz) 5 mW/m² – Skin contact 186 mW/m²
• microwave
  – EF 50 V/m
  – EMF 2.2 μT
  – RF 3.2 mW/m² (2,450MHz)

Limit values for high-frequency electromagnetic radiation will be established here listed.

For frequencies from 2,000 to 300,000 MHz, up to EF 61 V/m are considered permissible.

Cell phone radiation

Cell phone radiation increases as the reception field strength decreases. Since the cell phone uses pulsed power output, the intensity is much higher than a continuous averaged power.

There are GSM repeaters (not allowed in Germany) that use a receiving (directional) antenna at the highest point and a transmitting antenna on the property to record the signal, which is stronger at higher altitudes and now has a higher power density at the bottom of the property to improve reception.

This reduces the transmission power of the cell phone and reduces cell phone radiation exposure.

Using a wired headset reduces cell phone radiation exposure due to the increased distance to the head, as does using a BT headset (2,400 MHz). The SAR value of a BT headset (class 3 – transmission power up to 1 mW) is 0.003 W/kg, which is much lower than, for example, an iPhone 11 with 0.95 W/kg. Other BT classes are 2 with up to 2.5 mW and 3 with up to 100 mW. The latter is just as critical as cell phone radiation.

An alternative to poor cell phone network coverage in the home environment, which results in higher radiation exposure, is, for example, a VoIP telephone that can be connected via the DSL connection if a landline telephone is not already available.

WLAN radiation

Routers are used in households, offices, etc. to wirelessly forward wired Internet connections.

They operate in two frequency ranges, namely 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The data transfer rate with higher frequency is also higher and is preferred for video transmission, for example.

Anyone who suffers from EHS (electrohypersensitivity) but is dependent on WiFi should switch off the WiFi in the 5 GHz band in their router and maintain a maximum distance from the router or its antennas that is just acceptable in terms of the data transfer rate.

In this way, the electric field strength decreases and thus the radiation exposure to the body and its health consequences.

Shielding measures

The best shielding measure is to avoid and switch off radiation sources such as cell phones, WiFi routers, repeaters, etc.

External radiation sources that you cannot influence yourself are the reason to take a closer look at the topic of shielding. Although radiation can hardly be completely eliminated through structural measures, it can largely be significantly reduced through reflection or conversion into heat.

There are a number of suppliers of a wide variety of shielding materials that more or less fulfill their purpose. So which product should you award the contract?

First of all, it is important to find out which radiation power should be reduced at which frequency and by what amount. To do this, measurements must be taken in order to then decide which ones damping based on the measured frequencies is desired.
As a comparison: would you like to live next to a circular saw (10 dB shielding), a side road that is used during the day (50 dB shielding = 99.999 %) or would you rather live with the quiet rustling of leaves (80 dB shielding = 99.999.999 %)?

The manufacturer's information regarding the level of shielding must be evaluated accordingly.

materials

Recommended materials are offered by well-known manufacturers such as AARONIA AG. Their products are used to shield LF and HF signals up to the GHz range (26 GHz). These are fabrics made from special copper/nickel or silver-polyester fabrics, some of which are self-adhesive or can be attached using conventional plasters, such as paste, under wall coverings or wallpaper, with shielding properties of up to over 100 dB when laid with ground.

It is important to ensure that the membranes are laid with an overlap of ten centimeters in order to ensure an electrical connection underneath the membranes. Door frames and doors must also be provided with the appropriate materials.

The AARONIA products offered are used by BASF, BMW, Daimler Chrysler, DLR, EADS, EnBW, Fraunhofer Institute, among others, and therefore speak for themselves in terms of effectiveness and quality.

All work in connection with electrical systems must only be carried out by qualified specialist companies!