Ability to feel eletrical/magnetic fields?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the ability to perceive electrical and magnetic fields, particularly in manufacturing environments. Participants share personal experiences and observations related to sensations and effects encountered in high electrical and magnetic field areas, touching on both physiological responses and practical implications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant reports feeling a heavy sensation in the chest and difficulty breathing when exposed to high amplitude electrical fields, questioning if others have similar experiences.
  • Another participant suggests that such symptoms warrant avoidance of high fields and notes that while they have felt high voltage DC fields, they have not experienced cardiac issues.
  • A different participant shares experiences in high magnetic fields, noting no physical sensations but mentioning that credit cards were erased due to the magnetic environment.
  • Another contributor recounts working in a high magnetic field environment where they observed effects on mechanical devices, such as watches and vending machines, but did not feel any personal effects.
  • One participant describes challenges faced with radio controls in the presence of strong magnetic fields, highlighting issues with equipment malfunction due to magnetic saturation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of experiences and sensations related to electrical and magnetic fields, with some reporting physical effects while others do not. There is no consensus on the nature or cause of these sensations, indicating a mix of personal accounts and interpretations.

Contextual Notes

Participants' claims are based on personal experiences and observations, which may be influenced by individual sensitivity to electrical or magnetic fields. The discussion does not resolve the underlying mechanisms or health implications of these experiences.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in the effects of electrical and magnetic fields, particularly those working in manufacturing or engineering environments, may find the shared experiences relevant.

royzizzle
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ability to feel electrical/magnetic fields?

are there anyone here who has worked in a manufactoring environment? I have found that when stepping out into areas with higher amplitude electrical fields, I get a strange feel where my chest feels heavy and breathing becomes more difficult.

Any other electrical engineers who have experienced this?
 
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If you're having those kind of symptoms, you should probably avoid fields of those magnitudes.

I've been around high voltage and you can feel it. But they were mostly DC fields. I've never been near a field that would cause the cardiac problems you're describing. Keep in mind the body runs on electricity in the form of nerve, cardiac, and brain activity. So it's not really surprising that high energy fields could have a disruptive effect on your innards.
 
I have worked in some very high magnetic fields - no physical sensation, but I did have my credit cards erased. - not kidding.

The application is chlorine plant - 200KA DC current. -- The operators in the control room could tell how hard they were running by how much the images on the CRT computer screens were shifting.
 
I've worked along side an aluminum potline also with 200kA DC current. We measured the field at 200 gauss. This was in the 1970s before electronic watches. Vending machines wouldn't work either. The only watches that would work were Timex because they had brass gears. The watches with steel gears all stopped. I felt no effects but my keys would move around in my pockets and my toolbox would rotate as I carried it.

I was installing radio controls on the cranes and the magnetic fields saturated the ferrite cores of the transformers in the receivers and destroyed their tuning. We tried using a mu-metal case but that didn't help.
 

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