Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields Exposure Measurement during Lessons in Elementary Schools

2020 · Unclear · Low evidence

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UnclearLow evidencePaper 1471

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2020

Study typeexposure_assessment

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields Exposure Measurement during Lessons in Elementary Schools JinKyung Park, EunHye Jeong, GyeongAe Seomun. Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields Exposure Measurement during Lessons in Elementary Schools. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 22;17(15):E5284. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17155284. Abstract Schools are an important place for children's exposure to electromagnetic fields, which may cause adverse health effects. To better understand environmental extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) exposure among elementary school students, we measured numeric values of ELF-MFs in five classrooms at four schools during digital learning class hours. The measurement of ELF-MFs was taken with an EMDEX II field analyzer. Specifically, we examined the level of exposure to ELF-MFs for each student's seating position in the classroom. The results showed that ELF-MFs exposure levels were lower than those in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines; however, there were significant differences in the level of magnetic field exposure at each school and at each student's seat. The exposure to ELF-MFs at students' seat positions was mostly caused by electrical appliances, electronic wiring, and distribution boxes, but the exposure level decreased as the distance increased. Therefore, it is important to design safe and appropriate environments for digital learning in schools, such as proper seating arrangements, to avoid ELF-MFs exposure to students as much as possible. Future studies should measure ELF-MFs levels in other areas and investigate the effects of exposure to ELF-MFs during school hours on children's health. Excerpts The average ELF-MFs exposure in all schools measured in this study was lower than the exposure standard level for the general public recommended by the ICNIRP guidelines [22]. These measurements were similar to the exposure levels in homes (0.025-0.07 μT in Europe and 0.055-0.11 μT in the USA) [1] and were higher than those recorded in the study of Tardón et al. (0.01 and 0.02 μT) [25] and Nassiri et al. (0.15 μT) [26]. However, in the present study, ELF-MFs exposure was measured in digital learning classrooms at seven points at different heights rather than at a single spot in the classroom, and a comparison with the results of previous studies is therefore difficult. This study proposes meaningful methods and criteria for measuring ELF-MFs exposure that can be used in future studies. The exposure levels of ELF-MFs detected in this study could affect children's perception [27] and is associated with a higher risk of childhood leukemia [13,14,15,16]. Disorders of cognitive function [17,18,19], disorders of memory performance, headaches, and sleep disorders [20,21] are also associated with these exposure levels. Although there has been no explicit evidence for adverse health effects in children by ELF-MFs exposure, since the nervous and immune systems of children could be more sensitive to ELF-MFs [2,28], children should avoid exposure to ELF-MFs as much as possible. Therefore, a reduction policy should be established to minimize exposure levels for children. Open access paper: mdpi.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeexposure_assessment

Effect directionunclear

PopulationElementary school students (classroom seating positions)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF · during digital learning class hours

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

ELF-MF exposure levels measured in five classrooms at four schools during digital learning class hours were lower than ICNIRP guideline levels for the general public. Exposure levels differed significantly by school and by student seat position, and were mostly attributed to electrical appliances, electronic wiring, and distribution boxes, with levels decreasing with increased distance.

Outcomes measured

Measured extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) levels in classrooms and at student seating positions
Comparison of measured levels to ICNIRP public guidelines
Spatial variability of ELF-MF exposure by school and seat position
Identification of likely sources (appliances, wiring, distribution boxes) and distance-related decrease

Limitations

Sample size not stated in abstract (number of students not provided)
Measurements limited to five classrooms at four schools and to digital learning class hours
Health outcomes were not measured; authors call for future studies on health effects
Comparisons with prior studies noted as difficult due to different measurement approaches (multiple points/heights vs single spot)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "elementary school classrooms (digital learning); electrical appliances, electronic wiring, distribution boxes",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "during digital learning class hours"
  },
  "population": "Elementary school students (classroom seating positions)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Measured extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) levels in classrooms and at student seating positions",
    "Comparison of measured levels to ICNIRP public guidelines",
    "Spatial variability of ELF-MF exposure by school and seat position",
    "Identification of likely sources (appliances, wiring, distribution boxes) and distance-related decrease"
  ],
  "main_findings": "ELF-MF exposure levels measured in five classrooms at four schools during digital learning class hours were lower than ICNIRP guideline levels for the general public. Exposure levels differed significantly by school and by student seat position, and were mostly attributed to electrical appliances, electronic wiring, and distribution boxes, with levels decreasing with increased distance.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not stated in abstract (number of students not provided)",
    "Measurements limited to five classrooms at four schools and to digital learning class hours",
    "Health outcomes were not measured; authors call for future studies on health effects",
    "Comparisons with prior studies noted as difficult due to different measurement approaches (multiple points/heights vs single spot)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "extremely low-frequency magnetic fields",
    "ELF-MF",
    "exposure measurement",
    "elementary schools",
    "classrooms",
    "digital learning",
    "EMDEX II",
    "seating position",
    "ICNIRP guidelines",
    "electrical appliances",
    "wiring",
    "distribution boxes"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.72,
      "reason": "Study explicitly compares measured ELF-MF levels to ICNIRP guideline levels."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155284
PubMed: Not supplied

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