New Review Examines EMF Exposure and Possible Health Effects in Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
A new scientific review published in September 2026 by Southern Illinois University brings together two areas of research that are usually studied separately: electromagnetic field measurements inside electric vehicles and research on the possible biological and health effects of low-frequency magnetic fields.
The review, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, examined recent measurements from battery electric vehicles and compared them with findings from residential, occupational, and laboratory studies involving similar magnetic-field exposure levels.
The authors make an important observation: the magnetic fields measured inside electric vehicles are usually measured against exposure limits which were developed mainly to protect against established short-term effects, such as nerve stimulation. However, most of the serious health issues under research are related to a repeated or long-term exposure to weaker magnetic fields rather than short term exposure to stronger magnetic fields.
Where Do Magnetic Fields in Electric Vehicles Come From?
Electric vehicles contain several high-current electrical systems, including the traction battery, electric motor, inverter, power electronics, and high-voltage cables.
These components produce magnetic fields while the vehicle is operating. The fields are not constant. Their strength and frequency can change as the vehicle accelerates, cruises, brakes, or regenerates energy.
This makes the electromagnetic environment inside an EV more complicated than exposure from a single stationary source such as a power line.
The review found that passenger exposure also depends strongly on location inside the vehicle. A measurement near the floor may be very different from a measurement at the chest or head, even within the same seat.
What Do Current Safety Guidelines Cover?
The review examined the main international exposure guidelines, particularly those issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
For low-frequency magnetic fields generated by EV powertrains, ICNIRP’s 2010 guidelines covering frequencies from 1 Hz to 100 kHz are particularly relevant.
These guidelines are primarily intended to prevent established effects caused by sufficiently strong fields. At low frequencies, the principal concern is electric fields and currents induced inside the body that could stimulate nerves or muscles.
IEEE standards use a similar approach, with limits intended to prevent established adverse effects such as electrostimulation.
The important point is that complying with these limits does not necessarily answer every question about long-term exposure to much weaker fields. The review notes that scientific evidence concerning chronic low-level exposure remains incomplete.
What Magnetic-Field Levels Have Been Measured Inside EVs?
The researchers reviewed ten recent studies that measured electromagnetic fields inside pure electric vehicles.
Despite considerable differences in vehicles, instruments, test conditions, and measurement methods, a fairly consistent pattern appeared.
Most reported magnetic-field measurements were approximately 0.01 to 5 microtesla (µT) during normal operating conditions.
Higher localized measurements were also found.
One study reported a maximum of approximately 60.4 µT near the front foot area of a vehicle during acceleration (Pinto et al.). Other studies similarly identified the floor, footwell, and leg areas as locations where magnetic fields can be higher.
This makes physical sense. High-current cables, batteries, motors, and other electrical components are often located beneath or relatively close to the vehicle floor.
These localized peaks should not be interpreted as whole-body exposure. A measurement near a person’s feet does not mean that the head or entire body is exposed to the same field strength.
Acceleration Can Increase Exposure
Several studies found that magnetic-field levels changed considerably depending on how the vehicle was being driven.
Acceleration was commonly associated with higher measurements because the electric motor and power electronics are handling greater electrical currents.
Higher speeds can also change exposure. For example, one study measured a peak AC magnetic field of 19.9 µT near the front passenger floor at 80 km/h (Enegbuma and Kim).
This means that a single measurement taken while a vehicle is stationary may not represent what passengers experience during actual driving.
For meaningful testing, measurements should therefore include different operating conditions such as stationary operation, steady-speed driving, acceleration, deceleration, and charging.
Rear-Seat Exposure Deserves Attention
Another finding highlighted by the review is that rear-seat magnetic fields are not necessarily lower than those in the front.
Some vehicles showed similar exposure in the front and rear, while others produced higher measurements in the rear.
For example, one study reported rear-seat maximum values of approximately 1.3 to 1.5 µT, compared with maximum values of approximately 0.95 to 1.3 µT in front seating positions (Gryz et al.).
Other studies also reported elevated rear-seat measurements. One recorded a rear-seat peak of 4.67 µT during acceleration (Fukui, H., Minami, N., Tanezaki, M., Muroya, S. and Ohkubo, C. (2025)), while another reported 4.43 µT at the rear passenger’s abdomen during acceleration (Sztafrowski and Winiarz).
This finding is especially important because children frequently travel in rear seats.
What Does the Health Research Show?
The second part of the review examined ten recent studies concerning biological or health effects from low-frequency electromagnetic fields.
Since there are no studies published yet examining people riding in electric vehicles, the authors examined exposure in homes, workplaces, laboratories, and other environments. The researchers then compared the exposure levels reported in those studies with magnetic-field levels measured inside EVs.
The findings covered four main areas.
Cancer
One study reported an association between residential exposure of 0.4 µT or higher and childhood central nervous system tumors (Correa-Correa, V., Núñez-Enríquez, J.C., Mezei, G., et al. (2025)).
Another study found a higher risk of acute leukemia among children under five living within 50 meters of high-voltage overhead power lines, although analyses based on calculated magnetic-field levels did not show a clear association (Mancini, M., Hémon, D., Faure, L., Clavel, J. and Goujon, S. (2025)).
Other research has been less conclusive. A study of children living near transformer stations found no overall significant association with childhood leukemia, although a slightly higher risk was reported among children aged five and older (Malavolti et al. (2024)).
Neurological Effects
A laboratory study reported that weak magnetic fields could move magnetic particles naturally present in human brain tissue. The researchers suggested that this physical interaction could potentially contribute to cellular damage (Calderón-Garcidueñas, L., Cejudo-Ruiz, F.R., Stommel, E.W., et al. (2025)).
One population study found no significant association between living close to indoor electrical transformers and Alzheimer’s disease (Liimatainen, A., Roivainen, P., Juutilainen, J., Höytö, A. and Naarala, J. (2025)).
Blood Pressure and Sleep
Two occupational studies reported findings involving cardiovascular health and sleep.
One study found that industrial workers with higher magnetic-field exposure had increased systolic blood pressure and reduced deep-sleep duration (Weerasinghe, S.A.M., Liyanage, S., Rajitha Kawshalya, M.A.D. and Hong, S.C. (2024)).
Another occupational study reported an association between magnetic-field exposure and heart disorders among power plant workers, particularly when exposure was combined with mental and emotional stress.
The EV review points out an interesting question for future research.
Drivers can experience both increased magnetic fields during acceleration and mental stress related to driving. Whether these factors interact in a meaningful way has not been established, but the authors consider it worthy of further investigation.
Cellular and Immune Responses
One laboratory study exposed human macrophages, a type of immune cell, to a magnetic field of 20 µT (Sincak, M., Adamkova, P., Demeckova, V., et al. (2024)).
After approximately two hours, the cells shifted toward a pro-inflammatory state. The response was temporary, and the cells returned toward their previous state within 24 hours.
The 20 µT experimental exposure is within the range of some localized measurements reported close to EV floors and footwells.
The comparison shows that some localized vehicle measurements can reach field strengths at which measurable biological changes have been observed experimentally.
Why Standardized Vehicle Measurements Matter
Another problem identified by the authors is the lack of consistent measurement methods.
Different studies used different meters, frequency ranges, seating positions, driving conditions, and measurement locations. These differences make direct comparisons difficult.
The international standard IEC 62764-1:2022 provides a more consistent method for measuring low-frequency magnetic fields in vehicles.
It includes measurements during stationary operation, constant-speed driving, acceleration and deceleration, and charging. It also defines measurement areas corresponding to different parts of the occupant’s body.
However, the review found that relatively few published vehicle studies clearly followed the complete IEC method.
Greater use of the same measurement standard would make it easier to compare vehicles and determine whether differences come from vehicle design or simply from different testing methods.
Reference
- Tsai, P.-H. and Chen, X. (2026). From Measurement to Health: A Synthesis of EMF Exposure, Biological Evidence, and Safety Guidelines in Electric Vehicles
- International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) (2010). Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric and magnetic fields (1 Hz to 100 kHz)
- Correa-Correa, V., Núñez-Enríquez, J.C., Mezei, G., et al. (2025). Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and radiofrequency: Risk of childhood CNS tumors in a city with elevated ELF-MF exposure
- Malavolti, M., Malagoli, C., Wise, L.A., et al. (2024). Residential exposure to magnetic fields from transformer stations and risk of childhood leukemia
- Mancini, M., Hémon, D., Faure, L., Clavel, J. and Goujon, S. (2025). Residential exposure to magnetic field due to high-voltage power lines and childhood leukemia risk in mainland France: GEOCAP case-control study, 2002-2010
- Sincak, M., Adamkova, P., Demeckova, V., et al. (2024). Critical role of model organism selection in assessing weak urban electromagnetic field effects: Implications for human health
- Weerasinghe, S.A.M., Liyanage, S., Rajitha Kawshalya, M.A.D. and Hong, S.C. (2024). Impact of exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields on blood pressure, heart rate variation and disturbance to quality of sleep on industrial workers in Korea
- Liimatainen, A., Roivainen, P., Juutilainen, J., Höytö, A. and Naarala, J. (2025). A Cohort Study on Alzheimer’s Disease in Relation to Residential Magnetic Fields From Indoor Transformer Stations
- Calderón-Garcidueñas, L., Cejudo-Ruiz, F.R., Stommel, E.W., et al. (2025). Sleep and Arousal Hubs and Ferromagnetic Ultrafine Particulate Matter and Nanoparticle Motion Under Electromagnetic Fields: Neurodegeneration, Sleep Disorders, Orexinergic Neurons, and Air Pollution in Young Urbanites
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) (2022). IEC 62764-1:2022: Measurement procedures of magnetic field levels generated by electronic and electrical equipment in the automotive environment with respect to human exposure – Part 1: Low-frequency magnetic fields