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Electromagnetic Fields in the Built Environment
What Low-Frequency Electric Fields Are
Electrical wiring and connected devices generate low-frequency electric fields at 50 Hz (the standard UK mains frequency). These fields are present wherever there is voltage — in walls, floors, ceilings, and around appliances — regardless of whether current is flowing. They are characterised by their field strength, measured in volts per metre (V/m), and their behaviour is governed by the electrical properties of the surrounding materials. Unlike magnetic fields or radio-frequency signals, low-frequency electric fields can be substantially attenuated by dielectric and conductive materials placed between the source and the occupied space.
How They Are Measured and Characterised
Field strength is expressed in volts per metre (V/m) and measured using calibrated field meters sensitive to the 50 Hz frequency range. Background levels in typical UK domestic buildings range from a few V/m to several hundred V/m adjacent to wiring or appliances. IFM PAN's independently verified testing demonstrates that ADR SOL WALLS reduces field strength by up to 98.5% (from 500/150 V/m to around 50/15 V/m), with attenuation performance characterised across the relevant frequency band. The product operates on low-frequency electric fields only; it does not affect magnetic fields, radio-frequency signals, Wi-Fi, or mobile reception.
The Regulatory Classification
The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies extremely low-frequency magnetic fields as Group 2B — possibly carcinogenic — based on limited epidemiological data from occupational studies. This classification applies specifically to magnetic fields, not to low-frequency electric fields. IARC Group 2B also includes pickled vegetables and coffee, reflecting the very low confidence threshold for this category. ADR SOL's field attenuation technology is designed to reduce electric field exposure in buildings as a precautionary design measure, consistent with sensible environmental management practice.
Electric Fields in Modern Buildings
Modern buildings in the UK generate significant low-frequency electric fields from fixed wiring, consumer electronics, lighting circuits, and heating systems. These fields are strongest close to wiring runs and appliances, and diminish with distance. In open-plan spaces, partitioned offices, and buildings with embedded heating or underfloor systems, occupants may be in close proximity to multiple field sources for extended periods. Managing these fields through material selection during build or refurbishment — rather than relying on distance alone — allows architects, developers, and building specifiers to address field levels as a standard design parameter.
Field Attenuation as Part of Building Design
ADR SOL WALLS is applied as part of the build or surface treatment process — to walls, ceilings, or partition surfaces — before or during finishing. No operational intervention is needed after installation. The material's passive dielectric relaxation properties allow it to intercept and dissipate low-frequency electric field energy across the treated surface. This makes it suitable for specification at the design stage of residential builds, commercial fit-outs, and renovation projects where reduced field exposure is a design objective alongside thermal, acoustic, or fire performance requirements.
How the Attenuation Works
ADR SOL WALLS contains an active magnesium chloride compound that undergoes passive dielectric relaxation when exposed to low-frequency alternating electric fields. This physical process absorbs and redistributes field energy within the material matrix, reducing the field strength measurable on the far side of a treated surface. The mechanism is characterised by IFM PAN (the Institute of Physics of Microstructure of the Polish Academy of Sciences) under standard laboratory conditions. Attenuation is specific to low-frequency electric fields; the material has no effect on magnetic fields, RF signals, or wireless connectivity.