Help! Would you live next to an electrical substation?

[MissTea]

We?ve found the ideal flat to buy and have had our offer accepted, but have just found out that there is a small electrical substation at the end of the garden! I?ve tried to read up on the possible link between living near sources of electromagnetic radiation and childhood cancers but the evidence seems pretty inconclusive.

I?m still a bit concerned about living so close to a substation with a child (I?m currently pregnant and would hope to have another one while living at this property), but not sure what to do, given that the research in this area is so sketchy.

Does anyone know more about this subject? For instance, how much radiation is a small electrical substation likely to emit? The flat is on the first floor, and the substation is less than 50 foot away from the building?

What would you do?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Aren’t you the kind and helpful sort.

No, just truthful. Pig ignorance about science is shameful. Taking pride in it is worse.

I'd ask you for evidence of this idiocy but there isn't any.

There’s lots of speculation about links to health issues and cancer. No definite links or evidence that it’s not a rush. Are people wrong for wanting to arm themselves with information and asking (if people are more knowledgeable) for information?

Do you have scientific evidence that EMFs are harmless and of no concern? If so, I think it would be great for you to share.

There's more chance your mobile phone is harmful to your health than the substation next door.

As anyone capable of critical thinking knows, you can't prove a negative. I can't prove there is no god but there's no evidence to show there is one. Same way I can't prove there's no harm from e fields but repeated real studies have shown no evidence that there is. Look at sense about science.

And if you were actually that worried, you wouldn't be on the internet or have electrical items in your house.

I know this is an old thread but it is interesting to hear thoughts anyway.

A few years ago I was thinking of buying a house next to a sub station. I ended up not buying it for unrelated reasons but at the time I spoke at length to one of the scientists I work with and he said he would have no concerns about living next to one and scientifically the risk was negligible/almost non-existent.

I think as others have said the issue with this type of thing is that you would put off a lot of buyers who do believe there are links so resale might be affected..

Personally if the sub station was very close to the house then I'd lose interest. There have been a few houses I've ruled out upon doing a street view when I've seen a sub station next to the house. Regardless of any health risks, which I believe the jury is still out on, I'm not prepared to take the risk as it would be a bugger to sell on in future!

There's a proven link between stress and poor health. So worrying about substations is bad for your health. The substation itself won't do anything to you. Are you sitting next to a socket now?
It's basically the same as having a grave yard next door. there is a good point about resale but people are getting it backwards, you're going to pay less for the same house, lower mortgage payments, etc, then if you want to sell you'll get the lower amount back again. Not many people would complain about that!

However, there is at least some evidence ( based on multi national epidemiological studies) that living with electromagnetic radiation in excess of around 0.3 microteslas will increase a child's risk of brain cancer and leukaemia. ESs generate electromagnetic radiation. If I was considering a home near and ES I would get someone from the national grid To come round and take some measurements in the home , especially at peak electricity usage time e.g. 8am/ 6 pm.