Overhead AC powerlines and rain can alter the electric charge distribution on airborne particles: implications for aerosol dispersion and lung deposition

Matthew D Wright; Alison J Buckley; James C Matthews; Dudley E Shallcross; Denis L Henshaw

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.115834

Overhead AC powerlines and rain can alter the electric charge distribution on airborne particles: implications for aerosol dispersion and lung deposition

Matthew D Wright^*, Alison J Buckley, James C Matthews, Dudley E Shallcross, Denis L Henshaw

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Corona ions from high voltage power lines (HVPL) can increase electrostatic charge on airborne pollutant particulates, possibly increasing received dose upon inhalation. To investigate the potential increased risk of childhood leukemia associated with residence near alternating current (AC) HVPL, we measured the particle charge state and atmospheric electricity parameters upwind, downwind and away from HVPL. Although we observed noticeable charge state alteration from background levels, most HVPL do not significantly increase charge magnitude. Particular HVPL types are shown to have most effect, increasing net charge to 15 times that at background. However, the magnitude of charge alteration during rainfall is comparable with the most extreme HVPL measurement. On current evidence, based on the current adult lung model, we suggest that although charge is sometimes enhanced to levels which may alter atmospheric particle dynamics, increased lung deposition is unlikely.

Original language	English
Article number	115834
Number of pages	13
Journal	Environmental Research
Volume	228
Early online date	8 Apr 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.115834
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was funded by Children with Cancer UK , Registered Charity (UK) No. 298405 , through Grant No. 09/092 and a Ph.D. studentship held by A.J.B. M.D.W. and D.E.S. acknowledge funding from the Leverhulme Trust through Research Project Grant RPG-2014-102 . Data reported in this paper are available in the Supplementary Materials.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023

Access to Document

10.1016/j.envres.2023.115834Licence: CC BY

Handle.net

Persistent link

Cite this

@article{f4bd0176c73e43a7b0a3969d2cdd24f0,

title = "Overhead AC powerlines and rain can alter the electric charge distribution on airborne particles: implications for aerosol dispersion and lung deposition",

abstract = "Corona ions from high voltage power lines (HVPL) can increase electrostatic charge on airborne pollutant particulates, possibly increasing received dose upon inhalation. To investigate the potential increased risk of childhood leukemia associated with residence near alternating current (AC) HVPL, we measured the particle charge state and atmospheric electricity parameters upwind, downwind and away from HVPL. Although we observed noticeable charge state alteration from background levels, most HVPL do not significantly increase charge magnitude. Particular HVPL types are shown to have most effect, increasing net charge to 15 times that at background. However, the magnitude of charge alteration during rainfall is comparable with the most extreme HVPL measurement. On current evidence, based on the current adult lung model, we suggest that although charge is sometimes enhanced to levels which may alter atmospheric particle dynamics, increased lung deposition is unlikely.",

author = "Wright, {Matthew D} and Buckley, {Alison J} and Matthews, {James C} and Shallcross, {Dudley E} and Henshaw, {Denis L}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by Children with Cancer UK , Registered Charity (UK) No. 298405 , through Grant No. 09/092 and a Ph.D. studentship held by A.J.B. M.D.W. and D.E.S. acknowledge funding from the Leverhulme Trust through Research Project Grant RPG-2014-102 . Data reported in this paper are available in the Supplementary Materials. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.envres.2023.115834",

language = "English",

volume = "228",

journal = "Environmental Research",

issn = "0013-9351",

publisher = "Academic Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Overhead AC powerlines and rain can alter the electric charge distribution on airborne particles

T2 - implications for aerosol dispersion and lung deposition

AU - Wright, Matthew D

AU - Buckley, Alison J

AU - Matthews, James C

AU - Shallcross, Dudley E

AU - Henshaw, Denis L

N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded by Children with Cancer UK , Registered Charity (UK) No. 298405 , through Grant No. 09/092 and a Ph.D. studentship held by A.J.B. M.D.W. and D.E.S. acknowledge funding from the Leverhulme Trust through Research Project Grant RPG-2014-102 . Data reported in this paper are available in the Supplementary Materials. Publisher Copyright: © 2023

PY - 2023/7/1

Y1 - 2023/7/1

N2 - Corona ions from high voltage power lines (HVPL) can increase electrostatic charge on airborne pollutant particulates, possibly increasing received dose upon inhalation. To investigate the potential increased risk of childhood leukemia associated with residence near alternating current (AC) HVPL, we measured the particle charge state and atmospheric electricity parameters upwind, downwind and away from HVPL. Although we observed noticeable charge state alteration from background levels, most HVPL do not significantly increase charge magnitude. Particular HVPL types are shown to have most effect, increasing net charge to 15 times that at background. However, the magnitude of charge alteration during rainfall is comparable with the most extreme HVPL measurement. On current evidence, based on the current adult lung model, we suggest that although charge is sometimes enhanced to levels which may alter atmospheric particle dynamics, increased lung deposition is unlikely.

AB - Corona ions from high voltage power lines (HVPL) can increase electrostatic charge on airborne pollutant particulates, possibly increasing received dose upon inhalation. To investigate the potential increased risk of childhood leukemia associated with residence near alternating current (AC) HVPL, we measured the particle charge state and atmospheric electricity parameters upwind, downwind and away from HVPL. Although we observed noticeable charge state alteration from background levels, most HVPL do not significantly increase charge magnitude. Particular HVPL types are shown to have most effect, increasing net charge to 15 times that at background. However, the magnitude of charge alteration during rainfall is comparable with the most extreme HVPL measurement. On current evidence, based on the current adult lung model, we suggest that although charge is sometimes enhanced to levels which may alter atmospheric particle dynamics, increased lung deposition is unlikely.

U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115834

DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115834

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 37037314

SN - 0013-9351

VL - 228

JO - Environmental Research

JF - Environmental Research

M1 - 115834

ER -

Overhead AC powerlines and rain can alter the electric charge distribution on airborne particles: implications for aerosol dispersion and lung deposition

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Handle.net

Fingerprint

Cite this