Vacuum cleaner
A high-current motor at floor level and at arm's length: 100–700 mG (10–70 µT) at 15 cm and 20–200 mG (2–20 µT) at 30 cm, with no unit in the measured set falling to background at 30 cm.
elf magnetichomeworkplace
Last verified 12 August 2026.
Also searched as: hoover EMF, vacuum EMF
- Category
- elf magnetic
- Emission bands
- Power frequency
- Environments
- home, workplace
- Duty cycle
- Continuous while running, typically under an hour per session.
Field strength by distance
- 15 cm
- 100–700 mGMeasured range — Measured range at 15 cm from the body of the machine (10–70 µT), from the EPA's 1992 survey of 60 Hz appliances — a class range, not a figure for any particular modern unit.sources: nrc-1997-appliance-fields, epa-1992-appliance-fields
- 30 cm
- 20–200 mGMeasured range — Measured range at 30 cm (2–20 µT). Unlike most appliances, the weakest unit measured was still well above background at this distance.sources: nrc-1997-appliance-fields, epa-1992-appliance-fields
Mitigations, most effective first
- Use the full length of the wand and hose rather than working close to the motor housing.
- The field falls off steeply: 30 cm of extra separation cut the measured range by roughly a factor of five.
- Keep a canister or upright machine's motor away from the torso of whoever is pushing it.
- Exposure tracks the distance to the motor, not to the nozzle.
Measure with
- ELF gaussmeter (power-frequency magnetic field)
Related records
- Household background magnetic field (50/60 Hz)
Away from appliances, homes typically sit below a few milligauss; the WHO's epidemiological association with childhood leukaemia begins at a daily average of 3–4 mG (0.3–0.4 µT).
Sources & emitters
- Building Biology SBM-2024 AC magnetic field bands
Sleeping-area grades at 50/60 Hz: below 0.2 mG no anomaly, 0.2–1 mG weak, 1–5 mG strong, above 5 mG extreme.
Exposure limits
Sources
- nrc-1997-appliance-fields Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields, Table 2-3: magnetic-field strengths of common household appliances — National Research Council (US), National Academies Press, 1997. peer-reviewed, link checked 2026-08-12.
- epa-1992-appliance-fields EMF in Your Environment: Magnetic Field Measurements of Everyday Electrical Devices (EPA 402-R-92-008) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, 1992. government, link checked 2026-08-12.
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