Power frequency electric fields at a 400 kV substation

Measurements of electric fields have increased because of public concern about their health effects. The aim of this paper is to study electric fields at a 400 kV substation to find out whether they exceed occupational exposure guidelines, 10 kV/m, by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The 400 kV switchyard of the substation had two power transformer feeders and four outgoing transmission line feeders. The electric fields were measured on the switchyard of the substation. Measurements were carried out at 1 m height along four straight lines (n=251). The voltages in the busbars were also recorded during the measurements. The highest measured electric field was 9.9 kV/m. This value does not exceed the occupational exposure level for electric fields by ICNIRP