Health Risks With a High Voltage Transformer

A high voltage transformer is a kind of electrical transformer. The basic function of an electrical transformer is to transform electrical energy into usable forms. When it transforms a high number of electrons to a low number or vice versa, electricity that is produced as a result can then be transported. The strength of electrical transformers varies from those needed for individual electricity production to large transformers used in power plants, which have outputs of many tons and kilotons. Generally, power is extremely high when it is being produced at the source and weaker as it nears its destination. However, a high voltage transformer is not without a few health risks.

Leukemia

Emerging studies suggest that electromagnetic fields that high voltage transformers may emit carry radon, which is one cause of leukemia, and that children are at greater risk than adults. However, this link between leukemia and high voltage transformers remains inconclusive and studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) done over a five-year period have affirmed that there is at best an indirect relationship between the two. Oncology research is also evaluating the possibility that, while electromagnetic field waves are not strong enough to cause cancer, namely, they may promote cancer and cause malignant cells, when present, to multiply very quickly.

Neurological Problems

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The World Health Organization cautions that those who live within a mile of a high voltage transformer could develop neurological disorders. Exposure to electromagnetic field waves, even weak ones, can impair the brain’s chemical balance and ability of the immune system to fight diseases.

Other Cancers

Some scientists are also exploring the possible link between electromagnetic field waves and the loss of a substance called melatonin, which is known to suppress and prevent the outbreak of many malignancies, especially breast cancer. As of 2010, there is no conclusive evidence, but it is believed that the destruction of this melatonin caused by high voltage transformers may thus contribute to the risk of developing these types of cancers.