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ELF magnetic field exposures in an office environment
P Breysse1, P S Lees, M A McDiarmid
1Dept. of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|February 1, 1994
Summary
Workers in an office environment were monitored for extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field exposure. Results indicate common office equipment contributes to overall ELF magnetic field exposure levels.
Area of Science:
- Occupational health
- Environmental health
- Electromagnetism
Background:
- Worker concerns arose regarding potential spontaneous abortion risk linked to video display terminals (VDTs) in a payroll office.
- Previous research has investigated VDTs as a potential cause of adverse reproductive outcomes in women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential exposures to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields in an office setting.
- To assess the contribution of various office equipment to ELF magnetic field exposure.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic field sources were evaluated using a hand-held survey meter.
- Emdex datalogging dosimeters were used to measure full shift personal exposures for 15 female workers.
- Exposure levels were quantified in milligauss (mG).
Main Results:
- Average ELF magnetic field exposures for workers ranged from 1.0 to 6.5 mG, with a mean of 3.2 +/- 1.5 mG.
- Identified sources contributing to exposure included printers, photocopiers, and the electrical distribution system.
Conclusions:
- Office environments contain multiple sources of ELF magnetic fields.
- Printers, photocopiers, and electrical systems are significant contributors to worker exposure to ELF magnetic fields in offices.