How are people protected from possible health effects of ELF EMF?
At extremely low frequencies, guidelines on restrictions on exposure to EMF have been developed that are based on the avoidance of established biological effects of electromagnetic fields. These include the effects of induced currents in the body and the risk of painful spark discharge. NRPB recommended the adoption of the guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This recommendation is supported by a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on biological effects, human health and research on dosimetry. The ICNIRP reference levels for external fields are used at the initial stage of assessing compliance with restrictions on exposure. The levels for exposure to 50 Hz electric and magnetic fields are 10 kV m-1 and 500 µT for occupational exposure, and 5 kV m-1 and 100 µT for public exposure. The exposure restrictions advised by ICNIRP have been incorporated into a European Council Recommendation on public exposure, which
