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Occupational exposure to intermediate frequency and extremely low frequency magnetic fields among personnel working near electronic article surveillance systems.

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Roivainen P, Eskelinen T, Jokela K, Juutilainen J · 2014

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Store cashiers experience magnetic field spikes 34% above safety limits when walking through security gates, creating an understudied occupational exposure.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers measured electromagnetic field exposure for store cashiers working near security gates that detect unpaid merchandise. While normal workplace exposure stayed within safety limits, magnetic field levels briefly exceeded international guidelines when cashiers walked through the gates themselves, suggesting potential health risks.

Why This Matters

This study reveals an overlooked occupational exposure scenario that affects millions of retail workers worldwide. While the magnetic field levels at cashier workstations remained relatively low (0.2 to 4 µT), the brief spikes to 189 µT when walking through EAS gates exceeded established safety reference levels by 34%. What makes this particularly significant is the chronic nature of this exposure - cashiers may pass through these gates multiple times daily over years of employment. The researchers correctly identify this workforce as an ideal population for epidemiological studies, since they experience consistent, measurable EMF exposure in a controlled environment. The reality is that current safety guidelines don't account for cumulative effects of repeated brief exposures, and this study highlights a gap in our understanding of intermediate frequency field health impacts.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
0.0002 to 0.004 and 0.00003 to 0.0045 mG
Source/Device
50 Hz

Exposure Context

This study used 0.0002 to 0.004 and 0.00003 to 0.0045 mG for magnetic fields:

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.0002 to 0.004 and 0.00003 to 0.0045 mGExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the No Concern rangeFCC limit is 66,666,667x higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 50 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 50 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

Cashiers are potentially exposed to intermediate frequency (IF) magnetic fields at their workplaces because of the electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems used in stores to protect merchandise against theft. This study aimed at investigating occupational exposure of cashiers to IF magnetic fields in Finnish stores.

Exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields was also evaluated because cashiers work n...

The peak magnetic flux density was measured for IF magnetic fields, and was found to vary from 0.2 t...

Cite This Study
Roivainen P, Eskelinen T, Jokela K, Juutilainen J (2014). Occupational exposure to intermediate frequency and extremely low frequency magnetic fields among personnel working near electronic article surveillance systems. Bioelectromagnetics. 2014 Feb 24. doi: 10.1002/bem.21850.
Show BibTeX
@article{p_2014_occupational_exposure_to_intermediate_1296,
  author = {Roivainen P and Eskelinen T and Jokela K and Juutilainen J},
  title = {Occupational exposure to intermediate frequency and extremely low frequency magnetic fields among personnel working near electronic article surveillance systems.},
  year = {2014},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24615825/},
}
PubMed: 24615825

Cited By (22 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Store security gates can briefly expose cashiers to magnetic field levels exceeding safety guidelines when walking through them. A 2014 study found exposure peaked at 189 µT, above the 141 µT occupational limit, though only for short periods during gate passage.
Retail security systems may pose health risks to workers who regularly pass through them. Research shows cashiers experience magnetic field exposure exceeding international safety guidelines when walking through electronic article surveillance gates, warranting further health studies.
Working near store alarm systems appears relatively safe during normal duties, with magnetic field exposure well below safety limits. However, brief spikes occur when cashiers walk through the security gates themselves, potentially creating health concerns for frequent exposure.
Electronic security gates do affect store employees by creating magnetic field exposure that sometimes exceeds occupational safety limits. A 2014 study found cashiers face peak exposures of 189 µT when passing through gates, above the recommended 141 µT threshold.
Retail security scanners create magnetic field exposure risks primarily when workers pass through them. While normal working positions stay within safety limits, brief passages through electronic article surveillance gates can exceed international radiation protection guidelines for occupational exposure.