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All around the world, people are constantly exposed to countless man-made sources of electromagnetic waves including cellular telephones, radios, televisions, antennaes, satellites, and so on. Found everywhere, these waves have become a normal part of our daily environment. But our environment is also full of electromagnetic radiation from natural sources: light from the Sun carries infrared and ultraviolet radiation, and ionizing radiation comes from the Earth and space. Nobody can avoid it!
Using electricity adds electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) to this invisible world. Any electric current that flows through a device or a wire—from high-voltage lines to your computer’s power cord—generates fields to which we are exposed to varying degrees. However, these fields do not travel like radio waves. In fact, they lose strength rapidly as distance increases.
Can we feel or sense these fields? Do they have any effect on our bodies? If so, starting at what levels? Are they dangerous to our health? What do public health authorities think? The purpose of this particular Web site is to answer these questions as clearly and objectively as possible. It deals only with electric and magnetic fields produced by alternating current, by far the most common type of current today. Its goal is not to present Hydro-Québec’s point of view on the subject. The company's position is covered in another section of its Web site (Sustainable Development), along with a description of Hydro-Québec’s research in the field.
On this site, you will find numerous scientific studies and the opinions of a number of national and international agencies.
We hope you find it interesting!
- For more information, you can visit the Électrium, an EMF interpretation centre in Sainte-Julie, on Montréal’s South Shore.
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