On September 19, KAIST verified the safety of the On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) from electromagnetic radiation hazards, after having assessed its radiation levels this past June and September.

Last June, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) measured the radiation levels of OLEV installed in Seoul Grand Park to check up on any possible radiation safety hazards on the human body. The radiation turned out to be in the level of 0.05-61mG, which is within the national standard of 62.5 milliGauss (mG).

Following regulations set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62233, which outlines the “measurement methods for electromagnetic fields of household appliances and similar apparatus with regard to human exposure,” KRISS measured radiation from OLEV at its sides, at a fixed distance from the center (30cm), and at varied heights (5cm-15cm) to measure from 22 positions in total.

In addition, National Assembly Representative Young-ah Park, member of the Education, Science and Technology Committee, who raised safety issues regarding OLEV in the past, requested a reexamination of radiation levels through the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST).

The reexamination, which took place on September 13, produced a measurement of 0~24.1mG, also meeting national standards. In order to add credibility to the result, present at the site was the office of Rep. Park as well as other officials.

Furthermore, the result of this measurement is on a much safer level than the radiation safety standards used by the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Since there is no specific method of radiation assessment for OLEV that is written under law, for this occasion, Rep. Park requested that the procedure follow IEC 62110, which describes “measurement procedures for electric and magnetic field levels generated by AC power systems to evaluate the exposure levels of the human body.” Following suit, radiation was measured from OLEV at the sides, at 20cm from the center, and at varied heights (50cm~150cm) to measure from 15 positions in total.