For any address worldwide, this tool searches OpenStreetMap data within 1.5 km (5 km for airports) and identifies:
Military areas are flagged because they can include heavy EMF sources (radar arrays, comms relays, electronic warfare facilities). However, this category has real limitations:
Treat a military flag as "investigate further" rather than a definite EMF concern. The verdict thresholds for military areas are intentionally cautious to surface them without overstating risk.
The 0-100 number at the top of every scan is a comparative load index, not a measurement. Like blood pressure or server load, higher means more. Here's how it's calculated:
What the bands mean: 0-20 Good, 20-40 Slight, 40-60 Moderate, 60-80 High, 80-100 Extreme. Lower is better — higher means more EMF. Use it to compare addresses against each other, not to estimate µW/m² readings — for that you need a meter on-site.
Each address gets a clear assessment based on distance to the nearest sources of each type. Distance thresholds are based on published research on RF and ELF magnetic field exposure:
Coverage quality depends on OpenStreetMap data density and the availability of authoritative cross-check databases. Honest breakdown:
OpenStreetMap's cell tower coverage is genuinely incomplete almost everywhere. Operators rarely publish locations on OSM. The cross-check links in every scan point to the authoritative national source — ARPANSA RFNSA for Australia, FCC ASR + AntennaSearch for the US, Ofcom Sitefinder for the UK, and equivalent regulators for 18+ countries. For licensed mobile sites, those official sources are more reliable than this tool — and the tool will warn you when its own cell tower count looks suspicious.
Power lines (especially HV transmission), substations, electrified railways, broadcast towers, airports, military areas, and major industrial facilities are mapped consistently and accurately on OSM in every Tier 1 and most Tier 2 countries. These are the categories where this tool's findings stand on their own without needing cross-check verification.
Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL licence. Geocoding via Nominatim. Tool is for personal informational use only and is not medical or real-estate advice.
Every source EMFScanner maps emits some form of electromagnetic field. This page explains what each one is, why it emits EMF, and how strong the evidence is that proximity matters for health. Where the science is contested, we say so.
Evidence indicators: ● well-established · ● mixed evidence · ● mostly theoretical
Broadcast tower (FM/TV) ●
Transmits radio (FM 88-108 MHz) or TV signals at 10-100 kW ERP — orders of magnitude stronger than cell sites. The largest towers can produce measurable RF at 1+ km. Rare but high-impact when present; typically located on hills or tall buildings.
Mobile cell tower ●
Macro cell sites operate at 20-60 W per sector across multiple frequencies (700 MHz to 3.5 GHz for 5G). Beam patterns are mostly horizontal — directly under a tower the field is weaker than 100m away in line of sight. ICNIRP guidelines treat these as safe at typical distances; some research suggests biological effects below thermal thresholds, but this is contested.
Antenna / mast ●
Smaller standalone antennas including microwave links, two-way radio, and shared masts. Power varies enormously (1 W to 1 kW). On OSM these are often labelled "type unknown" because operators rarely tag specifics.
Radar ●
High-power pulsed transmitters (1-50 kW peak) used for air traffic control, weather, or defence. The main beam is usually elevated and rotating, so ground exposure is intermittent. Concerns are mostly relevant within 500m of older systems; modern phased-array radars are more focused.
≥220 kV (Extra High Voltage) ●
Long-distance transmission lines carrying hundreds of amps at 50/60 Hz. Generate measurable magnetic fields up to 200m from the line. Draper et al. (2005, BMJ) found a statistical association between childhood leukaemia and residing within 200m of HV lines — the strongest evidence in this category. The mechanism isn't established and absolute risk is small, but most building-biology guidelines recommend setbacks here.
66-220 kV (High Voltage) ●
Regional distribution lines. Magnetic field strength decays with distance roughly inversely (drops ~50% every doubling of distance). At 50m typical residential exposure is 10-100x background.
11-66 kV (Medium Voltage) ●
Suburban distribution lines, often on wooden poles. Lower current means lower fields, but proximity matters — fields at 5m from an MV line can equal fields at 50m from an HV line.
Substation ●
Where voltage is transformed up or down. Concentrate transformers, switchgear, and incoming HV lines in one location. Fields are typically contained within the fenced compound but can extend 50-100m for larger sites.
⚠ About underground power lines
EMFScanner shows underground cables when they're tagged on OpenStreetMap (dashed lines on the map). However, OSM coverage of underground utilities is sparse globally — most utility companies don't publish cable routes publicly for security reasons. If you're concerned about underground lines under or near a specific property, the authoritative answer comes from your local underground utility locating service: 811 (US, free), Dial Before You Dig 1100 (Australia, free), LineSearch beforeUdig (UK), or equivalent in your country. These services have direct utility data and will mark a property at no cost. Any recorded underground line crossing a property is also typically listed as an easement on the property title.
Electrified railway ●
Modern AC systems (15-25 kV catenary) generate strong intermittent magnetic fields when trains pass. Ground-level fields near rail corridors can briefly exceed those near HV transmission lines during a train passage. DC systems (older trams, metros) have lower AC fields but persistent DC.
Tram / light rail ●
Typically lower voltage than mainline rail (600-1500V DC) but runs through residential streets. Fields are localized but frequent.
Wind turbine ●
The nacelle generates ELF (50/60 Hz) plus low-frequency infrasound from blade rotation. EMF concerns are minor compared to other sources, but infrasound and shadow-flicker generate genuine quality-of-life complaints. Typical setback regulations require 500m to 1km.
Solar farm ●
Utility-scale arrays produce DC, but inverters convert to AC and create harmonics ("dirty electricity"). Effects are minor and largely contained within the facility — relevant only for adjacent properties.
Heavy industry ●
Foundries, smelters, induction furnaces, and large factories run massive AC motors at high current. Steel mills with electric arc furnaces produce some of the strongest industrial ELF fields known. Filtered to actual heavy industry — not warehouses or light assembly.
Data centre ●
Concentrated electronics with dedicated substations. ELF and dirty electricity from server racks and UPS systems. Effects mostly contained within the facility — concerns increase for properties sharing a wall or directly adjacent. Many data centres aren't openly mapped; expect under-reporting.
Hospital ●
MRI machines are heavily shielded. The genuine concerns are radiology departments, helicopter pads, and the high density of medical electronics. Mostly relevant for immediately-adjacent properties.
Major airport ●
Combine surveillance radar (rotating 360° beam, kilowatts of pulsed RF), ILS/VOR/DME navigation transmitters, weather radar, and dense aviation comms. Approach corridors mean low-flying aircraft as well. Effects extend kilometres beyond the perimeter — this is why the tool searches a wider radius for airports.
Regional airfield ●
Smaller scale than international airports — usually no surveillance radar, simpler nav aids. Still includes general aviation traffic and any local comms infrastructure.
Military area ●
Wide range — barracks and training depots have no unusual EMF, while active radar bases, communications relay stations, and electronic warfare facilities can have significant emissions. Data shown comes only from publicly mapped features in OpenStreetMap — we don't perform original mapping or claim operational details. Treat as "investigate further" rather than confirmed concern. See Legal & Privacy for our full data policy.
Most of these sources are within regulatory limits set by ICNIRP (international) and equivalent national bodies. The debate isn't whether thermal heating happens at typical distances — it doesn't. The debate is whether non-thermal biological effects exist at exposures below those limits. This is genuinely contested in the scientific literature.
The cautious approach — favoured by Building Biology guidelines, EU Council resolutions on EMF, and many epidemiology researchers — is to minimise unnecessary chronic exposure where reasonable. The mainstream regulatory view is that current limits are sufficient. EMFScanner takes a cautious framing by default but presents the data so you can apply your own judgement. What you do with the information is your decision alone.
Distance thresholds used by this tool are documented in "How it works". For specific µW/m² or mG readings, an EMF meter on-site is the only definitive answer.
EMFScanner.com is a free, non-commercial information tool that aggregates publicly available data from OpenStreetMap and other open sources to help users understand the infrastructure landscape near a given address. It is intended as a screening filter, not a definitive measurement or advisory service.
EMFScanner.com is operated by Trueons Group Pty Ltd, a company registered in New South Wales, Australia ("the Operator", "we", "us"). All references to "the operator" in these terms refer to Trueons Group Pty Ltd.
EMFScanner does not track users, set marketing cookies, run analytics on personal behaviour, or collect personal data. Addresses you search are sent to OpenStreetMap's Nominatim and Overpass APIs to retrieve map data — these are operated by the OpenStreetMap Foundation under their privacy policy. Saved addresses are stored only in your own browser's local storage and never transmitted to us. We have no user accounts, no logins, no analytics tracking pixels.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL). Map tiles: © CARTO, used per their terms of use. Geocoding: Nominatim, operated by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. Cross-check links point users to authoritative public databases operated by national regulators (FCC, Ofcom, ARPANSA, Traficom, etc.).
Military areas and similar features displayed by this tool come exclusively from OpenStreetMap, which is a public crowdsourced database mapped by volunteer contributors using publicly observable information (commercial satellite imagery, public roads, official disclosures, government-published maps). EMFScanner does not perform original mapping, does not aggregate classified data, and does not derive operational intelligence.
Where a feature is shown, we display only the data already publicly available in OpenStreetMap — typically just a name, location boundary, and broad category. We do not assert operational details we cannot verify, and we explicitly label such categories as "investigate further" rather than claiming exposure facts.
Takedown requests: if you represent a government agency, defense ministry, or other authority and have a legitimate concern about specific data shown by this tool, please email contact@emfscanner.com. We will review and respond promptly. Note that for issues with the underlying OpenStreetMap data itself, the appropriate channel is the OpenStreetMap Foundation's Data Working Group.
By accessing or using EMFScanner.com you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the tool.
EMFScanner.com is operated by Trueons Group Pty Ltd (ACN registered, New South Wales, Australia) as a free public-good project with no commercial intent. © 2026 Trueons Group Pty Ltd. The tool is built and maintained by Fredrik Sirvio. For copyright concerns, takedown requests, press enquiries, or general feedback: contact@emfscanner.com.
Last updated: April 2026.