The Public Health Implications of HVDC Transmission Lines: An Assessment of the Available Evidence

There are presently four high-voltage direct-current (HVdc) transmission systems operational in North America. A 1980 health perceptions survey concerning the Minnesota segment of one of these lines has indicated that a substantial minority of respondents (35 percent) felt their health had been adversely affected, by the line's operation. Four later studies have attempted to corroborate these findings. This paper critically reviews the five studies (all unpublished), reaching the conclusion that while each study has serious limitations, there is nonetheless sufficient evidence among them to state that there is no evident pattern of perceivable adverse health effects in proximity to any of the four HVdc systems, and that the Minnesota complaints are not likely to be associated with exposure to the HVdc electrical environment.