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Electric and magnetic fields and health

index/glossary | EMFs At A Glance | EMF The Facts (pdf)
  • What are EMFs
    • Terminology – an introduction
    • Electric fields
    • Magnetic fields
    • Units for measuring EMFs
    • Measuring and calculating EMFs
      • “EMF Commercial”
    • Adding fields together
    • Radiofrequencies
    • Screening EMFs
  • Sources
    • Overhead power lines
      • Fields from specific power lines
        • 400 kV
        • 400 kV – specific cases
        • 275 kV
        • 132 kV
        • 66 kV
        • 33 kV
        • 11 kV
        • 400 V/230 V
        • Replacing a 132 kV line with a 400 kV line
      • Summaries of fields from all power lines
      • Factors affecting the field from a power line
        • Voltage
        • Current
        • Clearance
        • Height above ground
        • Conductor bundle
        • Phasing
        • Balance between circuits
        • Balance within circuit
        • Ground resistivity
        • Two parallel lines
      • Calculating and measuring fields from power lines
        • Geometries of power lines
        • Raw data
        • On-line calculator
      • Fields from power lines – more detail on the physics
        • Field lines from a power line
        • The direction of the field from a power line
        • Power law variations in the field from a power line
      • Statistics of power line fields
    • Underground power cables
      • Different types of underground cable
      • Fields from cables in tunnels
      • Gas Insulated Lines (GIL)
      • Underground cables with multiple conductors
      • Effect of height on fields from underground cables
      • Screening fields from underground cables
    • Low-voltage distribution
      • UK distribution wiring
      • USA distribution wiring
    • House wiring
    • Substations
      • National Grid substations
        • Static Var Compensators
      • Sealing-end compounds
      • Distribution substations
      • Final distribution substations
        • Indoor substations
    • Transport
      • EMFs from electric trains (UK)
      • EMFs from cars
    • Appliances
    • Electricity meters
      • Smart meters
      • Traditional meters
    • Occupational exposures
      • Live-line work
      • Static Var Compensators
      • Occupational exposures on pylons
    • Field levels and exposures
      • Personal exposure
      • Other factors that vary with magnetic fields
      • Fields greater than 0.2 or 0.4 µT
    • Screening EMFs
      • Screening fields from underground cables
      • EMF Reduction Devices
  • Known effects
    • Induced currents and fields
    • Microshocks
      • Control of microshocks in the UK
      • Microshocks from bicycles
      • Bees and microshocks
    • EMFs and medical devices
      • Standards relating to pacemakers and other AIMDs
    • Effects of EMFs on equipment
  • Research
    • Types of research
    • Epidemiology
    • Animal and laboratory experiments
    • Mechanisms
    • Specific studies
      • UKCCS
      • CCRG
      • French Geocap study
      • CEGB cohort
      • Imperial College study
  • Current evidence on health
    • Childhood leukaemia
      • Survival from childhood leukaemia
      • Childhood leukaemia and Downs
      • Childhood leukaemia and night-time exposure
      • The “contact current” hypothesis
    • Other health effects
    • Scientific review bodies
      • WHO
      • IARC
    • Electric fields and ions
    • Comparing EMFs to other issues
  • Exposure limits for people
    • Limits in the UK
    • Limits in the EU
    • Limits in the USA
    • Limits in the rest of the world
    • Limits from specific organisations
      • ICNIRP 1998
      • ICNIRP 2010
      • NRPB 1993
      • NRPB 2004
      • EU 2004
      • EU 2013
  • Policy
    • UK policy
      • Power lines and property – UK
    • Compliance with exposure limits
    • European EMF policy
    • Precaution
    • SAGE
      • SAGE First Interim Assessment
        • Government response to SAGE First Interim Assessment
      • SAGE Second Interim Assessment
        • Government response to SAGE Second Interim Assessment
        • SAGE Second Interim Assessment – the full list of recommendations
  • Finding out more
    • EMF measurement and commercial services
    • Links
    • Literature
    • Contact us
  • Static fields
    • Static fields – the expert view
You are here: Home / Exposure limits for people / Limits from specific organisations / ICES 2002

ICES 2002

IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields, 0–3 kHz

The International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES) is a committee under the sponsorship of the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, a USA-based organisation (it is also known as IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 28).  It develops different standards for different frequency ranges which are published as IEEE standards.  IEEE C95.6 covers 0 to 3 kHz and therefore includes power frequencies.

This standard is based on the same body of evidence as ICNIRP but derives the numerical exposure values from the underlying science in a more detailed way.  One consequence of that is that whereas ICNIRP has "round number" limits - 10 mA/m2, 2 mA/m2 - ICES does not.

ICES has not been adopted by any country that we are aware of.

Basic restrictions

ICES sets basic restrictions on the in-situ induced electric field, instead of the induced current density that ICNIRP uses.  These two quantities are closely related but the in-situ electric field is probably the more physically relevant. More on induced fields and currents in the body.

 
Part of bodyLimit for controlled exposuresLimit for public exposures
Brain

50 Hz

60 Hz

50 Hz

60 Hz

44.3 mV m-1

53.1 mV m-1

14.7 mV m-1

17.7 mV m-1

Heart

0.943 V m-1

0.943 V m-1

Hands, wrists, feet, ankles

2.10 V m-1

2.10 V m-1

Other

2.10 V m-1

0.701 V m-1

 

Magnetic fields

ICES gives "maximum permissible exposures" (MPE) which are derived from the basic restriction.

Part of bodyControlled exposurePublic exposure
Head and torso

2.71 mT

904 μT

Arms and legs

50 Hz

60 Hz

50 Hz

60 Hz

75.8 mT

63.2 mT

75.8 mT

63.2 mT

It states "The MPE for magnetic field exposure in this standard may be exceeded if it can be demonstrated that the basic restrictions are not exceeded."

Electric fields

In ICES, the electric field Maximum Permissible Exposures are derived from consideration of indirect effects - e.g. microshocks - and not from the basic restrictions.

Controlled exposurePublic exposure
in reach of grounded conducting object

20 kV m-1

in general

5 kV m-1

not in reach of grounded conducting object

"may be acceptable to exceed" 20 kV m-1

in power line right-of-way (normal load conditions)

10 kV m-1

Where values are different at 50 Hz and 60 Hz, we give both.  If we give only one value it is the same at both frequencies.  More on the different values at 50 and 60 Hz.

Possible long-term effects

Like ICNIRP, ICES is based on preventing established, short-term effects of EMFs on the body.  The standard states:

"Established human mechanisms fall within the category of short-term effects. Such effects are understood in terms of recognized interaction mechanisms. Exposure limits defined in this standard are not based on the potential effects of long-term exposure because:
a) There is not sufficient, reliable evidence to conclude that long-term exposures to electric and magnetic fields at levels found in communities or occupational environments are adverse to human health or cause a disease, including cancer.
b) There is no confirmed mechanism that would provide a firm basis to predict adverse effects from low-level, long-term exposure."

The values at other frequencies

We concentrate on this site in general and this page in particular on the limits at power frequencies.  But ICES covers a range of frequencies.  The following graphs show the Maximum Permissible Exposures from 0.1 Hz to 100 kHz (solid lines are occupational, dotted lines public; dark blue is whole body, light blue is limbs only).  See also an interactive comparison of ICNIRP 1998, ICNIRP 2010 and ICES across a range of frequencies.

graph of ICES limits versus frequency

graph of ICES limits versius frequency

See also:

  • other specific exposure limits published by various organisations

Document numbering

The "C95" series of standards comprises:

  • IEEE C95.1™-2005 – Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz
  • IEEE C95.3™-2002 – Measurements & Computations of Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields with Respect to Human Exposure to Such Fields, 100 kHz-300 GHz
  • IEEE C95.3.1™-2010 – Measurements & Computations of Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields with Respect to Human Exposure to Such Fields, 0 Hz to 100 kHz
  • IEEE C95.6™-2002 – Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields, 0-3 kHz
  • IEEE C95.7™-2005 - Radio Frequency Safety Programs - 3 kHz to 300 GHz

The standard we detail on this page is C95.6.

Latest news

  • New publication on cancer incidence from the UK electricity industry Cohort Study August 27, 2019
  • How has the reported risk for childhood leukaemia changed over time? February 11, 2019
  • Media stories about microshocks in children’s playground September 10, 2018
  • New studies on leukaemia and distance from power lines June 1, 2018
older news

Contact Us

To contact the electricity industry’s EMF Unit Public Information Line (UK only):
telephone 0845 7023270 or email [email protected].

See Contact us for more contact details including our privacy policy.

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Navigation
  • What are EMFs
    • Terminology – an introduction
    • Electric fields
    • Magnetic fields
    • Units for measuring EMFs
    • Measuring and calculating EMFs
      • “EMF Commercial”
    • Adding fields together
    • Radiofrequencies
    • Screening EMFs
  • Sources
    • Overhead power lines
      • Fields from specific power lines
        • 400 kV
        • 400 kV – specific cases
        • 275 kV
        • 132 kV
        • 66 kV
        • 33 kV
        • 11 kV
        • 400 V/230 V
        • Replacing a 132 kV line with a 400 kV line
      • Summaries of fields from all power lines
      • Factors affecting the field from a power line
        • Voltage
        • Current
        • Clearance
        • Height above ground
        • Conductor bundle
        • Phasing
        • Balance between circuits
        • Balance within circuit
        • Ground resistivity
        • Two parallel lines
      • Calculating and measuring fields from power lines
        • Geometries of power lines
        • Raw data
        • On-line calculator
      • Fields from power lines – more detail on the physics
        • Field lines from a power line
        • The direction of the field from a power line
        • Power law variations in the field from a power line
      • Statistics of power line fields
    • Underground power cables
      • Different types of underground cable
      • Fields from cables in tunnels
      • Gas Insulated Lines (GIL)
      • Underground cables with multiple conductors
      • Effect of height on fields from underground cables
      • Screening fields from underground cables
    • Low-voltage distribution
      • UK distribution wiring
      • USA distribution wiring
    • House wiring
    • Substations
      • National Grid substations
        • Static Var Compensators
      • Sealing-end compounds
      • Distribution substations
      • Final distribution substations
        • Indoor substations
    • Transport
      • EMFs from electric trains (UK)
      • EMFs from cars
    • Appliances
    • Electricity meters
      • Smart meters
      • Traditional meters
    • Occupational exposures
      • Live-line work
      • Static Var Compensators
      • Occupational exposures on pylons
    • Field levels and exposures
      • Personal exposure
      • Other factors that vary with magnetic fields
      • Fields greater than 0.2 or 0.4 µT
    • Screening EMFs
      • Screening fields from underground cables
      • EMF Reduction Devices
  • Known effects
    • Induced currents and fields
    • Microshocks
      • Control of microshocks in the UK
      • Microshocks from bicycles
      • Bees and microshocks
    • EMFs and medical devices
      • Standards relating to pacemakers and other AIMDs
    • Effects of EMFs on equipment
  • Research
    • Types of research
    • Epidemiology
    • Animal and laboratory experiments
    • Mechanisms
    • Specific studies
      • UKCCS
      • CCRG
      • French Geocap study
      • CEGB cohort
      • Imperial College study
  • Current evidence on health
    • Childhood leukaemia
      • Survival from childhood leukaemia
      • Childhood leukaemia and Downs
      • Childhood leukaemia and night-time exposure
      • The “contact current” hypothesis
    • Other health effects
    • Scientific review bodies
      • WHO
      • IARC
    • Electric fields and ions
    • Comparing EMFs to other issues
  • Exposure limits for people
    • Limits in the UK
    • Limits in the EU
    • Limits in the USA
    • Limits in the rest of the world
    • Limits from specific organisations
      • ICNIRP 1998
      • ICNIRP 2010
      • NRPB 1993
      • NRPB 2004
      • EU 2004
      • EU 2013
  • Policy
    • UK policy
      • Power lines and property – UK
    • Compliance with exposure limits
    • European EMF policy
    • Precaution
    • SAGE
      • SAGE First Interim Assessment
        • Government response to SAGE First Interim Assessment
      • SAGE Second Interim Assessment
        • Government response to SAGE Second Interim Assessment
        • SAGE Second Interim Assessment – the full list of recommendations
  • Finding out more
    • EMF measurement and commercial services
    • Links
    • Literature
    • Contact us
  • Static fields
    • Static fields – the expert view