The Biological Significance of Power Line and High Voltage Switchyard Environments

The r e s u l t s o f a comprehensive l i t e r a t u r e survey and rev iew o f ongoing e f f o r t s u p p le ­ mented by s p e c i a l l y conducted f i e l d m easure­ ments are summarized. Research to date in Western Europe and America has f a i l e d to pro ­ v id e any ev id e n c e th a t human exposure to p r e s ­ en t l e v e l s o f f i e l d s from h igh v o l t a g e o v e r ­ head power l i n e s , as norm ally en cou n tered , has any harmful b i o l o g i c a l e f f e c t . On th e o th er hand, s t u d i e s performed in th e USSR r e p o r t some u n d e s ir a b le e f f e c t s on w o r k e r s -n o t in th e t y p i c a l power l i n e env iron m en t--b u t in th e more complex environments found in h igh v o l t ­ age s w i t c h y a r d s . The d i s p a r i t y in r e s u l t s cou ld be a t t r i ­ buted to d i f f e r e n c e s between th e environments found in h ig h v o l t a g e l i n e s and s w i tc h y a r d s . S p e c ia l measurements conducted o f the lowfrequency a c o u s t i c a l n o i s e in a h ig h v o l t a g e sw itch yard d i s c l o s e d a h ig h l e v e l (104 dB) o f 120 Hertz sound. This h ig h i n t e n s i t y , 100 or 120 Hertz sound, found in sw itch yard s (but n ot near t r a n s m is s io n l i n e s ) cou ld produce symp­ toms s im i la r to th o s e rep o r te d fo r S o v ie t sw itch yard w orkers. The b i o l o g i c a l l y s i g n i f i ­ can t environm ental d i f f e r e n c e s are d is c u s s e d . Numerous s t u d i e s have s i m i l a r l y n e g le c t e d th e t o t a l environment and examples are p r e s ­ en ted . This n e g l e c t p r e s e n t s a major o b s t a c l e in t r y in g to u se th e re su lt 's o f t h e s e s t u d i e s .