Current issues concerning electric and magnetic fields

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The potential health effects of electric and magnetic fields have been studied for a long time. The World Health Organization (WHO) published an extensive book on its website a while ago, which deals with, for instance, research reports on the subject.

Exposure to electric and magnetic fields includes exposure to low frequency and radio frequency fields. Low frequency fields are caused by electric devices, power lines, distribution lines and electric cables in the houses themselves. Radio frequency lines, however, appear in the vicinity of mobile phones and diverse base stations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) follows the health effects caused by exposure to these fields. WHO has published a several books with research results about the potential health effects. The latest book is available in advance on their website. It focuses on low frequency fields and its name isExtremely Low Frequency Fields Environmental Health Criteria Monograph No.238“.

Another very topical issue regarding these fields is the new directive (2004/40/EY), concerning the minimal requirements of health and safety as to protecting employees from exposure to risks caused by physical factors (electric and magnetic fields). The directive defines the maximum values for employees concerning exposure to electromagnetic fields. In Finland the directive will come into force after a transition period.

Different standards are being prepared to support the directive. SESKO´s national committee of standardization SK 106 (Exposure to electromagnetic fields) actively participates in this preparatory work. For further information, see the SESKO website.

There is a rather extensive book on electromagnetic fields even in Finnish.Säteilyturvakeskus (The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority) published a new book in their book series by the name “Sähkömagneettiset kentät” (Electromagnetic fields). The book’s authors have been doing research on the subject for a long time. The topics include mobile phones, power lines, TV and radio stations and many industrial applications e.g., electric welding apparatus. Exposure measuring and biological and physiological effects of the fields are also discussed extensively in this book.

There is quite a lot happening around the topic of exposure to electric and magnetic fields. New research reports flood in and the new directive causes all kinds of preparatory work. This seems to have remained a very timely issue year after year and seems to be that even today.

After over 10 years of web content production I now have a website of my own

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I have been producing web content for over ten years. Meanwhile, the Internet has taken huge steps forward. It was about time I published my own dynamic website. The site contains things that inspire me. For instance, there is a changing picture and a thought of the day on the index page and much of my previously developed web content can be found in the archive. The regional E-Girls project of Vaasa enabled this website for me.

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The Internet has gone through a lot of progress in ten years. It was about ten years ago that I was creating web content about electric networks. It was called Sähköverkko-opus (A guide to electric networks). It was certainly possible to add pictures and text at that time as well, but still it was nothing compared to the situation today.

We can now watch TV on the Internet. If we forget to watch the news we can watch the same broadcast on our computer. We can make telephone calls for free and we can check the weather by looking at real time pictures of different places in Finland before we set out for a trip. The progress has been huge.

Even 10 years ago some people had their own homepages. We still get the same kind of homepages: a picture of oneself with contact information and a short description of one’s activities. This is probably the most common type of homepage. However, the Internet of today offers all kinds of opportunities. Updating the content is much easier now, and you can write your blog, etc.

Inspired by this huge progress I decided to make this website. It was exciting to come up with ideas for the content. Also, I wanted to create a place where it is easy to find all the virtual content I have been developing over the years. There is also an archive for old and outdated content. This website was enabled by the regional E-Girls project of Vaasa, funded byEuropean Social Fund (ESF) and the State Provincial Office of Southern Finland.

With the opening of my new website, I’m starting my blog. I have not set any goals for my blog except that I will write whenever interesting themes come across.

Welcome to my website and my blog!

Leena Korpinen