What is a safe distance from powerlines?
9.1 This is a difficult question raising matters of definition, uncertainty, judgement and precaution. There is no clear distance at which powerline fields become certainly safe. However, the evidence suggests that living near powerlines may not be a major risk for most healthy adults. For adults and children in general, living more than 100 metres from the highest-voltage lines, or closer still to smaller lines, should be reasonably safe relative to health risks at large generally. Beyond that distance, other exposures are likely to be more important for most people, although both magnetic fields and ionised particles arising from corona ions (and hence potential risk) are detectable at much greater distances. The major Draper study (2005) showed association of childhood leukaemia with proximity of birth address to powerlines up to 600 metres. Further, the potential cumulative impact of low exposure levels on high density housing beyond 100 metres can be a consideration for policy dec
