Assessment of Exposure to Indoor Power Frequency Magnetic Fields: SEET Building and Engineering Laboratories, FUTA

• A. A. Ponnle

  Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria

• S. K. Ani

  Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure, Nigeria

Use of electricity and other technological devices are the major sources of magnetic field pollution, and due to their ubiquitous use, human beings in this century are exposed to high amount of magnetic fields in their various environment. According to electromagnetic field regulating bodies, over exposure to magnetic fields causes numerous health problems such as cancer, leukemia, and other health implications. This paper presents an investigative study of the level of exposure of personnel to indoor power frequency magnetic fields (magnetic fields due to mains current) within the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET) Building; SEET Laboratory Complex, and the Electrical/Electronics Engineering (EEE) Laboratory, all within Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). The study was carried out within the buildings with all electrical devices in operation, and measurements were taken with a magnetic field strength meter. The ground floor of the SEET building had maximum and minimum values of 23.10µT and 1.01µT, the first floor had 23.41µT and 1.08µT, while the second floor had 17.08µT and 1.42µT respectively. The ground floor of the SEET Laboratory Complex had maximum and minimum values of 15.11µT and 0.11µT, while the first floor had 12.32µT and 1.10µT respectively. The Electrical Laboratory had maximum and minimum values of 27.11µT and 0.10µT respectively. The study revealed that the level of magnetic field exposure within the buildings considered is within the limit stipulated by the International Commission on Non Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for public magnetic field exposure, which is at a maximum reference level of 100µT.

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