Sleep quality and general health status of employees exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields in a petrochemical complex.
Monazzam MR, Hosseini M, Matin LF, Aghaei HA, Khosroabadi H, Hesami A. · 2014
View Original AbstractWorkers exposed to ELF magnetic fields showed 13 times higher rates of sleep disorders despite exposure levels below current safety standards.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied 40 petrochemical workers exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields from electrical equipment. They found 61% had sleep disorders and 28% had poor health, compared to just 4.5% with sleep problems in unexposed workers, suggesting workplace EMF exposure may harm health.
Why This Matters
This workplace study adds to mounting evidence that ELF EMF exposure affects human health even at levels regulators consider 'safe.' The stark difference between exposed and unexposed workers - with 61% of EMF-exposed workers experiencing sleep disorders versus just 4.5% of controls - demonstrates real-world health impacts that safety standards aren't preventing. What makes this particularly concerning is that the measured EMF levels fell below limits set by the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists, yet workers still showed significantly higher rates of sleep problems and poor health.
The reality is that current EMF safety standards focus only on preventing immediate heating effects, not the biological impacts this study documents. While the researchers couldn't establish a direct dose-response relationship due to limited exposure measurements, the clear health differences between groups suggest that chronic ELF EMF exposure in occupational settings deserves serious attention. For workers in similar environments, this research underscores the importance of minimizing unnecessary EMF exposure and monitoring health effects over time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study was performed to determine possible correlation between Extremely Low Frequency Electro-Magnetic Fields (ELF EMFs) and sleep quality and public health of those working in substation units of a petrochemical complex in southern Iran.
To begin with, magnetic flux density was measured at different parts of a Control Building and two s...
The obtained results revealed that 28% of those in case group suffered from poor health status and 6...
In spite of a significant difference between the case and control groups in terms of sleep quality and general health, no significant relationship was found between the exposure level and sleep quality and general health. It is worth noting that the measured EMF values were lower than the standard limits recommended by American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). However, given the uncertainties about the pathogenic effects caused by exposure to ELF EMFs, further epidemiological studies and periodic testing of personnel working in high voltage substations are of utmost importance.
Show BibTeX
@article{mr_2014_sleep_quality_and_general_1567,
author = {Monazzam MR and Hosseini M and Matin LF and Aghaei HA and Khosroabadi H and Hesami A. },
title = {Sleep quality and general health status of employees exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields in a petrochemical complex.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/25091},
}