• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.57-65
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• 2023

Background: The association between exposure to extremely low frequency-magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and childhood leukemia has been controversial. There is a need to clarify this relationship by summarizing key conclusions from systematic review articles. Objectives: The major aim of this study is to summarize key conclusions from systematic review articles on the association between exposure to ELF-MF and childhood leukemia based on childhood exposure to ELF-MF, proximity from childhood household to high voltage cables, and parental occupational exposure to ELF-MF. Methods: This study was conducted through a brief literature review focusing on systematic, meta-analysis, and pooled analysis methods. We conducted a literature search in PubMed using the key words "ELF-MF" and "childhood leukemia" singly or combined. Results: In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed two manuscripts to conduct pooled analysis and concluded that there is a significant association between exposure to >0.3 μT or 0.4 μT and childhood leukemia. We found a total of four manuscripts for systematic or pool analysis that have been published since the IARC's conclusion. They consistently concluded that there was a significant association between exposure to >0.4 μT and childhood leukemia compared to ELF-MF exposure to below 0.1 μT. The proximity of children's households to high voltage cable lines and occupational exposure by their parents to ELF-MF during certain periods prior to or during pregnancy were inconsistently associated with childhood leukemia. The study found that many EU countries have implemented precautionary policies to prevent potential childhood leukemia due to exposure to ELF-MF. Conclusions: This study recommends implementing a precautionary policy that includes legal exposure limits for ELF-MF to minimize exposure to ELF-MF.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.381-392
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• 2022

Objectives: Objective of this study is to review briefly exposure characteristics, monitoring instruments and threshold limit values for extremely low frequency-magnetic field (ELF-MF) methods. This study was undertaken through brief literature review. We performed a literature search in PubMed to identify ELF-MF studies conducted in workplaces. Initial search keywords such as 'extremely low frequency-magnetic field (ELF-MF)' and 'electromagnetic fields (EMF)' combined or singly. We limited our review to occupational rather than general nonworkplace environmental exposures. Methods: The contents we reviewed: key industry and occupations generating ELF-MF, several direct-reading instruments monitoring ELF-MF and threshold limit values (TLV) preventing health effects may be caused by the exposure to ELF-MF. Results: The industries related to the generation and supply of electricity, electrolytic installations, welding, and induction heating and more were regarded as high ELF-MF exposure industries. All jobs handling or employed performed in power cable lines, electrical wiring, and electrical equipment are found to be exposed to ELF-MF. Threshold or ceiling limit, 1,000 µT, is established to prevent acute effects of exposure to low-frequency EMFs on the nervous system: the direct stimulation of nerve and muscle tissues and the induction of retinal phosphenes. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified ELF-MF as possibly carcinogenic to humans chiefly based on epidemiological studies on childhood leukemia. However, a causal relationship between magnetic fields and several types of cancer including childhood leukemia has not been established nor has any other long-term effects. Risk management using precautionary measures, has been initiated by the US and EU to prevent chronic health effects related to ELF-MF exposure in workplaces. Conclusion: This study recommends the implementation of various measures such as theestablishment of occupational exposure limit values for ELF-MF and precautionary principle to prevent potential chronic occupational health effects may be caused by ELF-MF in Korea.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.123-128
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• 2015

Previously, we investigated extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) on diverse DNA damage responses, such as phosphorylated H2AX (${\gamma}H2AX$), comet tail moments, and aneuploidy production in several non-tumorigenic epithelial or fibroblast cell lines. However, the effect of ELF-MF on DNA damage responses in neuronal cells may not be well evaluated. Here, we investigated the effects of ELF-MF on the DNA damage responses in HT22 non-tumorigenic mouse neuronal cells. Exposure to a 60-Hz, 2 mT ELF-MF did not produce any increased ${\gamma}H2AX$ expression, comet tail moments, or aneuploidy formation. However, 2 mT ELF-MF transiently increased the cell number. From the results, ELF-MF could affect the DNA damage responses differently, depending on the cell lines.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.137-142
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• 2011

Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) have the ability to produce a variety of behavioral and physiological changes in animals. The stomach, as the most sensitive part of the neuroendocrine organ of the gastrointestinal tract, is crucial for the initiation of a full stress response against all harmful stress. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether ELF-MF stimuli induce changes in the activity of neuroendocrine cells, considering their involvement in endocrine or paracrine effect on surrounding cells. The exposure to ELF-MF (durations of 24 h and 1 or 2 weeks, 60 Hz frequency, 0.1 mT intensity) altered the distribution and occurrence of gastrin, ghrelin and somatostatinpositive endocrine cells in the stomach of rats. The change, however, in the secretion of those hormones into blood from endocrine cells did not appear significantly with ELF-MF exposure. Comparing with sham control, ELF-MF exposure for 1 and 2 week induced an increase in $BaSO_4$ suspension propelling ratio of gastrointestinal tract, indicating that ELF-MF affects gastrointestinal motility. Our study revealed that ELF-MF exposure might influence the activity of endocrine cells, an important element of the intrinsic regulatory system in the digestive tract. The pathophysiological character of these changes and the mechanism responsible for neuroendocrine cell are still unclear and require further studies.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2002년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2
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• pp.274.2-274.2
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• 2002

Some experiments have been reported that magnetic fields can cause the change of numerous neurotransmitters including excitatory and inhibitory transmitters, which are involved in seizures. In this study we aimed to examine the effect of extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on the sensitivity of seizure response to bicuculline, picrotoxin and NMDA in mice. Mouse were exposed to sham or 20 G ELF-MF for 24 hours and then convulsants were administered i.p. at various doses. (omitted)

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.185-194
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the intensity of the extremely low frequency magnetic fields(ELF-MF) generated inside of the cabins during subway operation. Methods: The ELF-MF intensity were investigated on 30 subway lines in Korea, including in the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area(Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province), Incheon, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju. ELF-MF intensity was measured at 0.9 m from the floor using EMDEX II meters with a resolution of $0.01{\mu}T$. All data were collected every three seconds and analyzed with EMCALC 2013 version 3.0B software. Basic characteristics of subway operation, including alternative current(AC) or direct current(DC), voltage level, and opening year of the line were investigated. Real-time information during measurement, such as the time of departure, moving and arrival of trains, were also recorded. Results: The arithmetic mean(AM) and maximum(Max) intensity of ELF-MF were $0.62{\mu}T$ and $11.51{\mu}T$, respectively. Compared by region, the ELF-MF intensity measured inside cabin were the highest in the Seoul Metropolitan Area($AM=0.80{\mu}T$), followed by Busan($AM=0.30{\mu}T$), Daegu($AM=0.29{\mu}T$), Incheon($AM=0.14{\mu}T$), Gwangju($AM=0.04{\mu}T$) and Daejeon($AM=0.03{\mu}T$). The average ELF-MF level measured in AC trains($AM=1.36{\mu}T$) was also significantly higher than in DC trains($AM=0.28{\mu}T$). In terms of the opening year of the subway, trains opened before 1990($AM=0.85{\mu}T$) was the highest and the lowest was 2000-2009($AM=0.24{\mu}T$). Conclusions: The AC supply has the greatest influence on the generation of the ELF-MF intensity in subway cabins.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.658-673
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• 2018

극저주파자기장 노출에 대한 사회적 갈등은 계속되는 전력 수요의 증가와 고압송전선로의 증설로 심화될 것으로 예상되고 있다. 그러나 현행 환경영향평가법상 이에 대한 구체적 작성규정이나 지침이 마련되어 있지 않은 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구는 극저주파자기장의 주요 발생원이라 할 수 있는 고압 가공 송전선로를 대상으로 환경영향평가 사례분석, 현장측정 및 전문가 자문을 통하여 환경영향평가 방법에 대한 표준화 연구를 수행하였다. 극저주파자기장의 환경영향평가의 문제점과 개선해야 할 사항을 도출하고, 이를 반영하여 환경영향평가 방법을 제안하였다. 주요내용으로는 환경영향평가의 현황조사-영향예측-저감방안마련-사후환경영향평가계획의 각 단계에서 거리와 전류량에 영향을 받는 극저주파자기장의 물리적 특성을 고려한 계획수립 및 결과분석 과정을 제안하였다. 본 연구 내용을 기반으로 환경영향평가 실무에 적용시킬 수 있는 '전력선에 대한 극저주파자기장 공정시험방법(안)'과 '전력선에서의 극저주파자기장 측정기록표'를 마련하였고, 29개 항목의 극저주파자기장 점검표를 작성하였다. 이러한 연구결과는 극저주파자기장의 장기적 노출에 대한 인체유해성이 불명확한 현 시점에서 송전선로 피해와 갈등을 최소화하고 합리적 방안을 도출하는 환경영향평가에 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.271-279
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• 2012

The effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) on physiological processes at the cellular level remain unclear despite a number of studies. To investigate the effects of ELF-MFs on gene expression, we exposed human mammary epithelial MCF10A cells to fields of 1 mT magnetic flux density at 60 Hz for 4 and 16 h and measured the transcriptional responses of 24,000 genes using Illumina microarrays. In three independent experiments, we found no statistically significant alteration of expression levels for any of the genes assayed using a cutoff value of 1.2-fold. To confirm this result, we selected six genes with trends suggesting possible expression level changes, although these trends were not statistically significant, and investigated their expression levels further using a semiquantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In three independent experiments, we did not find any alterations in the expression levels of these genes. From these results, we conclude that ELF-MFs do not affect gene expression profiles under our exposure conditions.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.10-20
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• 2022

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate exposure levels of the extremely low frequency magnetic fields(ELF-MF) radiated from various electric facilities in Liquid Crystal Display(LCD) manufacturing processes. Methods: This study measured the exposure levels of personal and local ELF-MF for the electronic facilities installed in two LCD manufacturing companies. Samplers were installed around workers' waist during working hours to identify personal exposure levels, and direct reading equipment were located at 3 cm, 10 cm, and 30 cm away from the surface of the electronic facilities to measure local exposure levels. Average and maximum(ceiling) values were calculated for personal and local exposure levels. Results: Average and maximum of personal exposure levels for each worker were 0.56(mean) ± 0.02(SE) µT and 6.31 ± 0.75 µT, respectively. Statistical analyses of the study found that maximum of the personal exposure levels for engineers was significantly higher than that for operators since engineers spend more time near the electronic facilities for repairing. The range of maximum personal exposure levels was 0.50 ~ 43.50 µT and its highest level was equivalent to 4.35 % of ACGIH(American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) exposure limit value(1 mT). Maximum of local exposure levels was 8.18 ± 0.52 µT and the electronic facilities with higher exposure levels were roof rail and electric panel, which were not related to direct manufacturing. The range of maximum local exposure levels was 0.60 ~ 287.20 µT and its highest level was equivalent to 28.7 % of the ACGIH exposure limit value. Lastly, the local exposure levels significantly decreased as the measurement distance from the electronic facilities increased. Conclusions: Maximum of personal and local exposure levels did not exceed the exposure limit value of ACGIH. However, it is recommended to keep the workers as far as possible from the sources of ELF-MF.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.191-206
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• 2004

The present study investigated the hypothesis that a extremely low frequency magnetic field partially suppresses the synthesis of melatonin in a group of 28 primary schoolchildren living nearby and 60 primary schoolchildren aged 12 years living far away from overhead transmission power lines from December 2003 to April 2004 in Seoul, Korea. The mean personal exposure levels of the primary schoolchildren living nearby overhead transmission power line were 0.37 ${\mu}$T, whereas the value for the primary schoolchildren living away from overhead transmission power line 0.05 mT. From simple analyses, the mean melatonin levels in the primary schoolchildren living nearby were lower than away from overhead transmission power line, but not statistically significant differences in the levels of the melatonin (p=0.2421), whereas the statistically significant differences in the levels of the melatonin related to the distance from residence to power line less and more than 100 m by cut-off point (p=0.0139). In multiple linear regression analyses, distance from residence to power line (p=0.0146) and dietary habit about burned meat (p=0.0170) proved to be significant risk factors in the mean nocturnal melatonin levels in the primary schoolchildren. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that urinary levels of nocturnal melatonin are not altered in primary schoolchildren exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic field(ELF-MF) at overhead transmission power line.