The intensity of electromagnetic fields emitted by common compact fluorescent lamps

In recent years, compact fluorescent lamps have been more widely used across the country as a means of optimizing energy consumption. Given the health consequences of lighting sources, the present study was conducted to investigate the intensity of electromagnetic fields emitted by common compact fluorescent lamps. The study examined 54 compact fluorescent lamp bulbs manufactured in local and international factories. The intensity of the electromagnetic fields emitted was measured at a very low frequency (VLF) and an extremely low frequency (ELF) using field measuring devices (Holaday HI 3603 and HI 3604 models). The data obtained were analyzed in SPSS. The intensity of the emitted electric and magnetic fields decreased with the increase in their distance from the sources. At the reference point of 25 cm, the effective intensity of the electric field was 2.25 v/m at the very low frequency and 15.39 v/m at the extremely low frequency. The intensity of the magnetic fields was 0.47 mA/m at the very low frequency and 9.41 mA/m at the extremely low frequency. All the values were below the national exposure limits. There was a significant difference between the effective intensity of the electric and magnetic fields based on the lamp's manufacturers (p<0.05). Although the intensities of the electromagnetic fields of the lamps were lower than the exposure limits, due to lack of conclusive evidence on the biological effects of fields, minimizing the public exposure to fields is essential. The use of standard-quality lamps is therefore highly recommended as a preventive measure.