Health Status of Electric Utility Workers Exposed to Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Field (ELF-EMF)

근로자들의 극저주파 전자파 노출 수준에 따른 인체 영향 평가

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.