Table 2.

Classification of public exposures to ELF-EMFs.

Exposure Classification	Description, Main Sources and Relevance for Risk Assessment
Intermittent variable partial body exposure	-Highest level of exposure category, including the exposures from household electric devices. The exposure levels are highly variable and partial body or local. The exposure is intermittent and limited in time. The levels of exposure are below the recommended European exposure limits but the local maximum may be close to, and in some cases could be stronger than the EU reference levels reaching up to few hundreds of µT. -Typical sources: household appliances, some transport systems. -This category is considered in the risk assessment studies of general public exposure to ELF-MF that have been performed so far.
Continuous elevated level whole body exposure	-Medium level of exposure category including exposures from built-in transformers, and high voltage power lines within 20–50 m. The exposure levels are variable in time and space. The mean and maximum exposure levels are well below the recommended European exposure limits, reaching up to few µT. -Typical sources: built-in transformers, substations, and high voltage power lines. -This category has importance for risk analysis, when epidemiological studies on childhood leukemia are considered.
Continuous low level background exposure	-Low level of exposure category as the background of todays electromagnetic environment. The exposure is continuous. The mean and maximum exposure levels are many times below the recommended European exposure limits and are in the range of 0.01–0.1 µT. -Typical sources: low-voltage wiring systems, continuously operating household electric devices. -This category has very limited importance for risk analysis.