As well as possible effects on humans, possible effects of EMFs on various animals (for example, cows, sheep, pigs and horses) have been studied a number of times. No detectable effect of EMFs have been found on, for example, health, milk production, fertility, behaviour, and carcass quality.
Most of the research on EMFs and flora and fauna was conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then little research on this subject has been performed, reflecting the general agreement that EMFs have not been shown to have any detectable effects (with the specific exceptions of honey bees in hives and trees growing close enough to lines to be subject to corona).
Specific issues
We summarise some of the studies that have been performed on particular issues here:
farm animals | plants and crops | bees
see also details of court decisions in France about power lines and farming
Organic status
The presence of a power line has no effect on organic status. The regulations that define organic status in the UK do not even mention power lines, pylons or magnetic fields.
GPS
Farmers often use Global Positioning System (GPS) to assist operation on farms. Power lines do not interfere with GPS, except possibly very close to the pylon itself.
Conclusions of review bodies
Most of the review bodies that have examined EMFs have been primarily interested in people rather than animals or plants. SCENIHR have included some comments, and one Inquiry which did examine the evidence on agriculture was the Gibbs Inquiry.
Conclusions by SCENIHR
The EU's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) have issued statements on EMFs in 2007 and 2009. Both included sections on environmental effects, but the conclusion was:
"The current database is inadequate for the purposes of the assessment of possible risks due to environmental exposure to RF, IF and ELF."
View of UK Government
National Policy Statement NPS EN-5, approved by the UK Parliament and built on advice from HPA, states:
"2.10.8 There is little evidence that exposure of crops, farm animals or natural ecosystems to transmission line EMFs has any agriculturally significant consequences."
Conclusions by the Gibbs Inquiry
This was conducted by former Chief Justice of Australia The Right Honourable Sir Harry Gibbs G.C.M.G., A.C., K.B.E. who conducted an inquiry into community needs and high voltage transmission line development in the State of New South Wales in 1990/1991. Chapter 6 of his Report deals with animals and plants. His conclusions are contained in section 6.6.
| 6.6 |
Conclusion
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6.6.1 |
Bees in hives under or near to transmission lines are adversely affected by shocks created by currents induced by the lines, but the effect can be mitigated by shielding.
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6.6.2 |
The magnetic fields created by power lines do not affect the health or reproductive capacity of farm animals or present a danger to native fauna.
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6.6.3 |
The growth of trees which are close to a transmission line may be reduced by the effect of corona. In any case, the height of trees on a transmission line easement will be restricted when this is necessary in the interest of safety. Any loss which this causes to the landowner should be included in the compensation paid for the acquisition of the easement. This matter is further discussed in Chapter 16.
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6.6.4 |
From a practical point of view, the electric fields created by transmission lines have no adverse effect on crops, pasture grasses or native flora, other than trees, growing under or near to the lines. |