EMF on SEPTA Trains

I have been an R3 Media-Elwyn rider for many years.

A few weeks ago, I bought an EMF meter because I was curious about EMF levels in our building downtown. Another person on our floor recently died of brain cancer, so it got me worried enough to buy one. The meter also measures RF levels, and I was always curious about how high they were in the train with all the phones and Blackberries being on at the same time.

What I found is that the cell phones are not that much of an issue as far as the RF levels are concerned, but that the EMF levels definitely are an issue. The recomended limit for EMF is about 3 milligauss (they set a 3 milligauss perimeter around MRI machines, for example).

The EMF levels on the SEPTA train (especially when it is accelerating) are on the order of several hundred milligauss. My meter maxes out at 100 milligauss, and it was pinned to the right of that during acceleration. Levels were over 100 milligauss whenever the train was moving, but dropped considerably (but were still way over 3) when the train was at rest.

Standing by the tracks, you need to be at least 20 feet back from the overhead wires for the EMF to drop under 3 milligauss. It was right around 3 when I was sitting on one of the benches in front of the Moylan post office.

The trains have obviously been in use for many decades, so I doubt whether there is a huge risk, but the EMF levels are very high. I wonder if conductors have a higher than average incidence of cancer, etc.

Find out what your meter is measuring, If it is summing the amplitude of three phase signals the reading may far exceed the actual net field at a given point.

first, the 3mG limit around an MRI machine is much more likely intended to prevent interference with the magnetic imaging, rather than for any health related reason (ie. the CRT monitor jitter/distortion that is caused by approx. 10mG). second, while various international health organizations have proposed limits for continuous exposure in the 1-5mG range, normal home wiring may indeed produce similar emf levels. last, and fyi, a quick Google search seems to indicate that readings of approx. 200mG are normal near substations, although voltages used in power transmission can be much higher than the voltage used for overhead caternary.

RR'ers do tend to have higher cancer rates than some other industries, however, most of the guys who have had it and passed from it in recent times are guys who have been around the RR for a LONG time, meaning back in the 60s and 70s when things weren't as "healthy" (hahha) as they are today.

Jtgshu wrote:RR'ers do tend to have higher cancer rates than some other industries, however, most of the guys who have had it and passed from it in recent times are guys who have been around the RR for a LONG time, meaning back in the 60s and 70s when things weren't as "healthy" (hahha) as they are today.

Oh yea the locomotives turned the morning to dark with the smoke.

And PCBs.