ELF-MF occupational exposure in die-casting and electroplating workers in Korea

Abstract

A 24-h exposure assessment was performed in two groups of blue-collar workers from a die-casting plant and an electroplating plant to investigate levels of exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs), using an EMDEX Lite (Enertech, USA) dosimeter. ELF-MF exposure of workers from the die-casting plant (arithmetic M ± SD 0.649 ± 1.343 µT) is higher than in electroplating workers (0.138 ± 0.045 µT). Higher ELF-MF exposure occurred among workers living in the same building as their workplace compared with that among other workers. This study suggests that ELF-MF exposure levels should be taken into consideration when providing dormitories for workers to minimize levels of residential ELF-MF exposure due to emissions from industrial plants. The study recommends that blue-collar workers should be made aware of measures to minimize their exposure to environmental agents such as ELF-MFs and electromagnetic fields during work, such as maintaining a safe distance between machines and avoiding undesirable behavior with equipment.

Keywords: blue-collar workers; extremely low-frequency magnetic fields; industrial exposure assessment; residential exposure.