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The History of Bioelectromagnetism

As part of human health evaluation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

assessed the potential carcinogenicity of static electric and magnetic felds and categorized them in

group 3, not classifable as to their carcinogenicity to humans (IARC, 2002). Many studies have been

conducted on animals exposed to DC magnetic felds (Simon, 1992). Te WHO concluded that no irre­

versible efects have been reported from magnetic felds up to 2 T (WHO, 1987). Based on the evaluation

of biological efects research, the WHO carried out the human health assessment of static electric and

magnetic felds and published a monograph of the Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) for them in

2006 (WHO, 2006), in which the health risk assessment was announced as follows:

Static electric felds: Tere are no studies on exposure to static electric felds from which any con­

clusions on chronic or delayed efects can be made. IARC (IARC, 2002) noted there was insufcient

evidence to determine the carcinogenicity of static electric felds. Static magnetic felds: Te avail­

able evidence from epidemiological and laboratory studies is not sufcient to draw any conclusion

with regard to chronic and delayed efects. IARC (IARC, 2002) concluded that there was inad­

equate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of static magnetic felds, and no relevant data

available from experimental animals. Teir carcinogenicity to humans is therefore not at present

classifable.

WHO (2006, p. 8)

Today, the AC electricity from power stations through transmission and distribution lines to the end

users is still used. Due to the development and incorporation of AC-DC converters, HVDC transmis­

sion lines are being challenged. Te inverter used to transfer three-phase voltage is synchronized with

the transmission line. DC electricity can be directly produced by solar/photovoltaic panels and ofshore

windfarms. HVDC systems are used for long-distance transmission of energy and for interconnection

between HVAC and HVDC. HVDC transmission lines have been already operating for a long time in

the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, China, Japan, etc. China has built 25,000 km

Ultra-HVDC transmission lines 800 and 1,100 kV. In the past, although many HVDC transmission lines

were built in the 1970s to 1980s, the study of human perception of DC electric feld was rarely investi­

gated. As new HVDC transmission lines are proposed, concern on the environmental and human health

efects of static electric and magnetic felds associated the operation of these lines have again increased.

For example, HVDC transmission lines are to be employed in Germany as part of new long-distance

power transmission lines from the renewable energy sources, ofshore windfarms, in the north to the

western and southern metropolitan industrial areas. Recently, the research group of Aachen University

started to investigate the human perception thresholds for DC electric felds under whole body exposure

and well-controlled environments in order to determine statistically verifed detection thresholds of the

population (Jankowiak et al., 2021: Kursawe et al., 2021). Te Commission on Radiological Protection

(SSK) recommended further research projects will be conducted on perception, mainly in the form of

human studies under well-controlled conditions (SSK, 2013).

Systematic reviews on the biological efects of static electric and magnetic felds on humans, verte­

brates, invertebrates, and plants have been published (Driessen et al., 2020; Petri et al., 2017; Schmiedchen

et al., 2018). It is necessary to further evaluate the biological and human health efects in relation to

HVDC transmission lines, although the WHO already carried out the human health assessment of

static electric and magnetic felds.

2.6.2 Extremely Low-Frequency Fields

In 1968, the U.S. Navy proposed a submarine communication system, called Project Sanguine. Project

Sanguine was going to build and operate a system with a frequency at 76 Hz on a large tract of land

from Clam Lake, Wisconsin to Michigan. However, the people living in Clam Lake near the facility

campaigned against Project Sanguine. Tis Project was not successful because of its cost, protests,