Scientists Discover Ultrahigh Voltage Power Lines Cause Organ, Blood and Nerve Damage
Dave Vanas · 1976
Soviet studies from 1966 to 1968 reported organ, blood, and nerve damage in workers exposed to switchyard electrical fields of up to 26 kV/m.
Plain English Summary
This 1976 staff review of an article by E. Trapeano examined three Soviet medical studies on organ, blood, and nerve damage in workers exposed to electrical fields in switchyards (up to 26 kV/m). The review compared them with a U.S. study of 11 linemen working on energized 345 kV conductors, which found no significant health effects. It concludes that U.S. population exposure levels are much lower and unlikely to cause adverse health effects.
Why This Matters
This 1976 review covers three Soviet medical studies from 1966, 1967, and 1968 that reported organ, blood, and nerve damage in workers exposed to electrical fields in switchyards. What makes this particularly significant is the focus on ultrahigh voltage installations - the massive transmission lines that carry electricity across long distances, generating much stronger electrical fields than typical neighborhood power lines.
The reality is that workers in switchyards face electric field strengths from 2 kV/m up to 26 kV/m, far higher than what most people experience daily. The review concludes that U.S. population exposure levels are much lower and unlikely to cause adverse health effects, and a U.S. study of 11 linemen found no significant health effects.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 2 kV/m
- Exposure Duration
- 5 hours/day for 30 days (Soviet studies), 1 hour/day average for 42 months (U.S. study)
Exposure Context
This study used 2 kV/m for electric fields:
- 6.7Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
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.
Study Details
To analyze Soviet medical studies on the health effects of exposure to ultrahigh voltage power lines and compare them with U.S. research findings to determine potential health risks to the general population.
The document reviews three Soviet medical studies conducted in 1966, 1967, and 1968 on workers in el...
The Soviet studies found that workers exposed to electrical fields in switchyards (up to 26 kV/m) su...
The study concludes that while Soviet research shows potential health effects from high exposure to electrical fields, U.S. population exposure levels are much lower and unlikely to cause adverse health effects. The Soviet standards apply only to maintenance personnel, not the general population.
Show BibTeX
@article{scientists_discover_ultrahigh_voltage_power_lines_cause_organ_blood_and_nerve_da_g6129,
author = {Dave Vanas},
title = {Scientists Discover Ultrahigh Voltage Power Lines Cause Organ, Blood and Nerve Damage},
year = {1976},
}