• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the exposure level to extremely low frequency-magnetic fields (ELF-MF) among a selected Korean population using 24-hour personal exposure measurement. Methods: Participants were randomly selected for the measurement of MF exposure under the assumption that the subjects are representative of the overall Korean population. Levels of personal exposure to MF were measured according to the subject's daily activities. Results: The 24-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 250 participants was $1.56{\pm}4.56$ mG (GM, GSD: 0.79, 2.46 mG). Personal exposure levels for females were higher than for males. The highest personal exposure level was shown in the age group between 20-60 years old. Personal exposure levels according to job category were higher for the non-occupational group than for the occupational group. Conclusions: Our results showed MF exposure exceeding 2 mG per day among 11.3% of the Korean population, indicating a somewhat higher percentage compared to the EMF RAPID Program's results for the U.S population.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2012

Objectives: To compare the exposure level of extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields among semiconductor workers, shipyard welders and office workers. Methods: To measure the ELF magnetic field concentration, EMDEX LITE (Enertech, USA) were used and monitored for eight hours continuously. Five companies handling the electric and magnetic field (EMF) source were investigated, which the exposure groups were classified into three groups: semiconductor workers, welders, and office workers. Welder group was chosen as a high exposed group and office group as a low exposed group. Results: The arithmetic mean (${\pm}SD$) and geometric mean (GSD) of personal exposure level of semiconductor workers were 0.73 (${\pm}1.33$) ${\mu}T$, 0.43 (2.88) ${\mu}T$, respectively. The ceiling value ranged between 0.18 and 123.2 ${\mu}T$. Welders were exposed high with the arithmetic mean value of 3.46 (${\pm}\;13.46$) ${\mu}T$ and geometric mean value of 0.45 (4.70) ${\mu}T$, respectively, and ceiling value range of 75.5~129.6 ${\mu}T$. The exposure levels of office workers were low compared to other exposed groups; the arithmetic mean 0.05 (${\pm}0.13$) ${\mu}T$, geometric mean 0.03 (2.38) ${\mu}T$ and ceiling value range 0.37~3.35 ${\mu}T$. This study revealed statistically significant differences of the mean ELF magnetic field exposure doses among three groups (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The average ELF magnetic field exposure doses of semiconductor workers were much higher than those of office workers in control group, but were lower than those of welders in high exposure group.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.334-345
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• 2006

The objectives of this study were to analyze and compare 24 hrs personal exposure levels of MF at microenvironments such as home, school, educational institute, internet pc game room, transportation, and other places according to time activity patterns using various metrics for children attending the primary schools located near and away from the power lines, and to characterize the major microenvironments and impact factors attributed personal exposure level. The study was carried out for 44 children attending a primary school away from the lines(school A) and 125 children attending a school away from 154 kV power lines(school B), all who aged 12 years and were 6 grade, from July 2003 to December 2003. All participants filled in a questionnaire about characteristics, residence, use of electrical appliances and others. Children wore a small satchel in which EMDEX II and Lite (Enertech, Co. Ltd) and a diary of activity list for period of registration in 20 minutes blocks. All statistical calculations were made with the SAS System, Releas 6.12. The summary of results was presented below. First, about the characteristics of subjects, there no differences between two groups. The subject almost spent about 56 % of their time at home and about 20~25 % of their time at school. Fifty percent of children spent 2 hours at private educational institutes. Second, the personal exposure measurements of children in school B was statistically higher than those of children in school A by various metrics such as arithmetic mean, geometric mean, percentile(5, 25, 50, 75, 95), maximum, rate of change metric, constant field metric. The arithmetic and geometric mean magnetic fields during the time the children were at school B were 0.98 and $0.86{\mu}T$ and were about 23 times higher than those of children were at school A. In conclusion, the significant major determinants of personal exposure level is the distance from the power line to microenvironments.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.131.2-132
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.786-787
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• 2008

본 논문에서는 1층 주거지역에 미치는 지하 분전반 모선으로부터 발생하는 극저주파 자기장을 억제하기 위한 연구의 일환으로 지하 분전반을 연구모델로 선정한 후 3차원 전자장 유한요소 해석을 이용하여 누설 자속을 분석하였다. 1층 침실에 미치는 자기장을 억제하기 위해 알루미늄 재질의 차폐판을 도입하여 차폐효과를 확인하였다.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 1997

This study was executed for the purpose of investigation of the EMFs exposures of personal and electronic environment. This study examines ELF-EMFs of electric appliances, subways and occupational and non-occupational human exposures, using EMDEX II (for 40 - 800Hz, Enertech Consultant, Inc.), from October 1995 to March 1996. Among the electric appliances examined, a massage unit showed the highest mean value of 247.07 $\mu$T, followed by an electric blanket of 5.24 $\mu$T. Indoor levels of EMF in subways exceerlcd 0.2 $\mu$T of the Swedish Guideline. The mean personal exposure levels of occupational group were 0.18 $\mu$T, while the personal EMF level of non-occupational group were 0.07 $\mu$T. Occupational group were exposed more highly while at work. However, the EMF levels during nonwork and sleep exposures between occuptional group and nonoccupational group were about the same. Estimates of time-intergrated exposure indicated that utility-specipic job classifications received about one-half or more of their total exposure on the job. Finally, this study would provide significant data for future research for exposure to magnetic fields, and more detailed study and research are necessary.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.2
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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.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.29-36
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• 1996

With the three dimensional magnetic field measuring system dealt with in this paper, accurate measurements and analyses of extremely low frequency(ELF) magnetic fields caused by starting and/or operating electric devices and power installations can be conducted. To obtain high performance for lower frequency and spatial components without any distortion, the measuring system is designed as three dimensionally including the multiturn loop-type magnetic field sensors, differential amplifiers and active integrators. As the results of calibration experiments, the frequency response characteristics of the measuring system range from 8[Hz] to about 53[kHz] for each direction of x, y, z axes, and the response sensitivities are 9.54, 9.21, $10.89[mV/{\mu}T]$, respectively. The actual survey experiments by using an oscillating impulse current generator confirm a reliability of the proposed measuring system. Also, through the other experiments by using small-sized induction motors, the magnetic field intensities when starting and steady-state operating mark 15.8, $8.61[{\mu}T]$ as maximum value, respectively. And those intensities decrease steeply according as the measuring distance increases.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 1988

The ELF-MT survey has been conducted at 9 points along the national road between the Sindangri and Dojonri area to study on the boundary between the Okchon and Choson systems, and subsurface geological structure of these two systems. Natural electromagnetic fields of 7.8, 14, and 20 Hz in the Schumann resonant frequency band were used for ELF-MT measurement. Apparent resistivity values were calculated from the measured magnetic and electric fields at each frequency, and resistivity sections were obtained by means of a trial and error method for one-dimensional analysis and finite element method for two-dimensioal analysis. The results of this study show that the resistivities of the Okchon and Choson systems are 700-3500 ohm-m and 40-5000 ohm-m, respectively. The boundary between these two systems is a fault with the width of 1 km fault zone and resistivity value of 200 ohm-m, and is located around Koburangjae. Another fault is appeared in Sindangri, and its resistivity value is 130 ohm-m. Intrusion of biotite granite is distributed in Jungchijae, and its resistivity value is 750 ohm-m. The area between Susanri and Koburangjae shows the highest resistivity value of 3500 ohm-m because metabasite and amphibolite are distributed in that area. Extremely low resistivity value of 40 ohm-m around Yongamsan is due to the Yongam formation, which is composed of graphitic black slate and overlying Choson Great Limestone group.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2005

Recently, the use of an electrical apparatus has brought up concerns of health risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields. EMF is composed of electric fields and magnetic fields. Heavy exposure to EMF can occur only in the vicinity of high-voltage overhead transmission lines, close to transformers and underground cables, and also close to large electrical machinery. In this thesis I have investigated the hypothesis of the correlation between occupational exposure to ELF-EMF and the risks of leukemia, anemia, cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether or not ELF-EMF emitted from electric power stations and transformer substations affect some hematological parameters and tumor markers of electric utility workers. The hematological test results and tumor markers under investigation were similar in the two groups but some of parameters such as RBC, AFP, LDH showed significant difference between the two groups from two sample t-test (p<0.05). The exposure group showed increased LDH level compared to the control group by two sample t-tests. In addition, the abnormal LDH level in the exposure group was observed to be clinically significant by ${\chi}^2$-test. However, the levels of RBC, AFP observed were not clinically significant by ${\chi}^2$-test (p>0.05). These results suggested that ELF-EMF does not affect most blood test parameters except LDH of electric utility workers.