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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

In Situ Soil Moisture Sensors in Undisturbed Soils
Published on: November 18, 2022
Some effects of a buried electricity transmission cable on bulk soil
1Dipartimento di Agronomia Ambientale e Territoriale, Università di Palermo, Italy, EU. scalenghe@unipa.it
Abstract:
A case study in NW Italy investigating an underground electric line (1 m depth triple cable at operative voltages 220-380 kV) measured electric fields in the surrounding soil virtually close to zero but magnetic fields (microTs) 20 times the background level. After 6 months, the influence radius around the cable on microbial activity (estimated by soil ATP), organic carbon, and total nitrogen follows exactly the inverse trend of the MF, shifting the biological activity with a lag distance of 5 m from the 220 kV cable.
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