EXCEEDANCES OF LIMITS FOR ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS PRODUCED BY POWER LINES, REMEDIATION ACTIONS

    Descrizione 1
    Update date
    Authors

    Gabriele Bellabarba, Maria Logorelli

    Abstract
    Immagine
    Abstract

    The indicator quantifies instances of non-compliance with the limits established by regulations for power lines (transmission lines, substations, and transformer stations). For regions/autonomous provinces, with data updated through September 2024, 73.9% of the total exceedance cases have been remediated. The number of exceedances related to power lines amounts to 69, remaining unchanged across the two reference periods (1999-September 2023 and 1999-September 2024).

    Description

    The indicator quantifies instances of non-compliance with the limits established by regulations for power lines (transmission lines, substations, and transformer stations), reporting the cumulative value over the reference period from 1999 to September 2023. It also accounts for remediation actions that are planned, under verification by ARPA/APPA, in progress (due to administrative actions), completed following ARPA/APPA verification, and completed through administrative actions.

    Purpose

    Quantify non-compliance situations for extremely low frequency (ELF) sources present in the national territory and the corresponding remediation actions.

    Policy relevance and utility for users
    It is of national scope or it is applicable to environmental issues at the regional level but of national relevance.
    It can describe the trend without necessarily evaluating it.
    It is simple and easy to interpret.
    It is sensitive to changes occurring in the environment and/or in human activities
    It provides a representative picture of environmental conditions, environmental pressures, and societal responses
    Analytical soundness
    Temporal comparability
    Spatial comparability
    Measurability (data)
    An “adequate” spatial coverage
    An “appropriate” temporal coverage
    Main regulatory references and objectives

    Framework Law 36/2001 establishes exposure limits, precautionary values, and quality objectives for electric fields and magnetic induction, which must be respected in environments where significant population presence can be expected. The identification of exceedances results from monitoring activities conducted by ARPA/APPA during the operational phase of ELF installations, aimed at ensuring compliance with exposure limits, precautionary values, and quality objectives for population protection, as defined by the DPCM 08/07/03 (50 Hz). In accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the aforementioned DPCM, two decrees were issued in May 2008 concerning, respectively, the calculation methodology for determining buffer zones for power lines and the procedures for measuring and evaluating magnetic induction.

    DPSIR
    State
    Response
    Indicator type
    Descriptive (A)
    References

    ISPRA - Annuario dei dati ambientali, varie edizioni

    ISPRA - Reports tematici, varie edizioni

    Limitations

    Partial data due to the lack of established data collection tools at the local level, as well as the absence of dedicated human and financial resources for this data collection activity. It should be noted that there is no obligation for the local authority/operator responsible for implementing the required remediation to report this to ARPA/APPA. For this reason, the information regarding the status of remediation actions reflects the current knowledge of the ARPA/APPA agency system, which relies on the information available after adequate investigations, including the analysis of data from sector-specific databases and publications. Furthermore, the absence of the implementing decree for Law 36/2001 (Article 4, paragraph 4), which regulates the criteria for developing power line remediation plans, is the main reason for the high percentage of unresolved remediation cases, despite ongoing non-compliance situations.

    Further actions

    Coordinated efforts by the stakeholders involved to support the flow of information through appropriate regulatory instruments and targeted activities aimed at analyzing the aforementioned critical issues. The objective is to shed light on existing challenges and propose solutions to ensure greater consistency and comprehensiveness of data at the national level.

    Frequenza di rilevazione dei dati
    in tempo reale
    Fonte dei dati
    Osservatorio CEM
    Spatial coverage

    18/20

    Time coverage

    1999-september 2024

    Processing methodology

    Calculation of the number of exceedances of regulatory reference values and the number of exceedance cases for which remediation actions are planned, under verification by ARPA/APPA, in progress (due to administrative actions), completed following ARPA/APPA verification, completed through administrative actions, or for which no action has been taken. The exceedance refers to situations where levels measured are above the exposure limit, the precautionary value, or both.

    Update frequency
    Year
    Qualità dell'informazione

    The indicator provides information covering a substantial portion of the national territory. The time series refers to data spanning more than five years. The indicator is easily interpretable and is also comparable across both space and time.

    State
    Good
    Trend
    Positive
    State assessment/description

    For the regions/autonomous provinces where data is updated as of September 2024 (Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicily), 73.9% of the total exceedance cases have been remediated (Figure 1). The total number of exceedances generated by ELF sources amounts to 69 (Table 1), considering only those regions/autonomous provinces for which updated data is available.
    Exceedances related to power lines generally occur in private residences, primarily due to the presence of secondary transformer substations (often located inside residential buildings). Completed remediation actions for these cases typically involve relocating cables and low-voltage panels (aimed at reducing magnetic fields at the site of exceedance through adjustments to the configuration of certain substation components) and shielding the substation itself with metallic material on the side adjacent to the apartment.

    Trend assessment/description

    For the regions with data that is updated, complete, and comparable (Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Lombardy, Autonomous Province of Trento, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicily), it can be observed that the number of cases exceeding legal limits remained unchanged across the two reference periods (1999-September 2023 and 1999-September 2024), totaling 69 (Table 2).

    Comments

    The instances of legal limit exceedances associated with this electromagnetic source are few in number and not increasing, despite adequate monitoring efforts by ARPA/APPA. The information presented in Table 1 is affected by several issues, including the lack of established local data collection tools, insufficient dedicated human and financial resources for this data collection activity, and the absence of a formal obligation for the competent authority (Municipality or Province) to inform ARPA/APPA about the status of remediation actions requested following the identification of non-compliance in a given installation.

    Data
    Headline

    Tabella 1: Numero dei superamenti rilevati e stato dei risanamenti per gli elettrodotti (1999-settembre 2024)

    Data source

    Elaborazione ISPRA su dati ARPA/APPA (Osservatorio CEM)

    Note

    a Dati non aggiornati

    Thumbnail
    Headline

    Figura 1: Stato delle azioni di risanamento nei siti in cui si è rilevato almeno un superamento a causa di impianti ELF (1999-settembre 2024)

    Data source

    Elaborazione ISPRA su dati ARPA/APPA (Osservatorio CEM) 

    Data legend

    Sono state considerate le sole regioni per cui per cui è disponibile il dato aggiornato e completo per il periodo temporale 1999-settembre 2024

    Headline

    Tabella 2: Numero dei superamenti rilevati e stato dei risanamenti per gli elettrodotti nei due periodi di riferimento 1999-settembre 2023/ 1999-settembre 2024

    Data source

    Elaborazione ISPRA su dati ARPA/APPA (Osservatorio CEM)

    Data legend

    a Dato non aggiornato * dato non copre tutto il territorio regionale b regione/provincia autonoma che ha fornito il dato completo e aggiornato e che quindi è stata considerata nel calcolo del totale complessivo nazionale 

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