Medical Evaluation of Man Working in AC Electric Fields
W. B. Kouwenhoven, O. R. Langworthy, M. L. Singewald, G. G. Knickerbocker · 1967
Eleven power line workers examined over 42 months of work in high-voltage 60 Hz electric fields showed no change in health.
Plain English Summary
This 1967 Johns Hopkins study tracked 11 power line workers exposed to high-voltage 60 Hz electric fields over 42 months, including conventional workers using insulated tools and others working barehanded from aerial buckets connected to live wires. The research examined physiological impacts of occupational AC electric field exposure and evaluated protective equipment effectiveness.
Why This Matters
This study represents one of the earliest systematic attempts to document health effects in workers exposed to power frequency electric fields. What makes this research particularly significant is its focus on extreme occupational exposures - these linemen experienced field strengths thousands of times higher than typical household levels. The 42-month monitoring period, with repeat examinations at the one, two, two and one-half, and three and one-half year follow-ups, provided longitudinal data on sustained exposure. The comparison between conventional safety methods and direct contact techniques offers insight into dose-response relationships. While the study predates our current understanding of EMF bioeffects, it established important precedents for occupational safety standards and highlighted the need for protective measures in high-exposure work environments.
Finding
Considering the period of observation (3½ years) and the method of study, it can be reported that the health of the 11 observed linemen was unchanged by their exposure to HV lines. Also, no evidence of malignancy was found. There was a decrease in the sperm count of two of the 11 subjects. The significance of this is not clear and warrants further study; but no correlation has been found between exposure to HV lines and any effect on the health of individuals in this investigation.
In their words
“Considering the period of observation (3½ years) and the method of study, it can be reported that the health of the 11 observed linemen was unchanged by their exposure to HV lines. Also, no evidence of malignancy was found. There was a decrease in the sperm count of two of the 11 subjects. The significance of this is not clear and warrants further study; but no correlation has been found between exposure to HV lines and any effect on the health of individuals in this investigation.”
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Show BibTeX
@article{medical_evaluation_of_man_working_in_ac_electric_fields_g6104,
author = {W. B. Kouwenhoven and O. R. Langworthy and M. L. Singewald and G. G. Knickerbocker},
title = {Medical Evaluation of Man Working in AC Electric Fields},
year = {1967},
}