Perception of risk by electromagnetic fields in the context of power-line easement: impact on agricultural land value

In recent years, the media impact of the damage from electromagnetic fields generated by high voltage power lines on human health has grown considerably. Hence, judges increasingly require the assessment of the compensation concerning the land depreciation for the “perception” of the health risk from land market operators, regardless of the land use and the ascertainment of the health damage. The aim of this paper is the assessment of the “perceptive” devaluation of the Apulia agricultural lands in the presence of high voltage power lines and for different crop systems, in order to present a methodological approach that could support the experts appointed by judges. The analysis clearly shows that the perception of the risk of damage to human health is strongly felt by land market operators, causing an average devaluation of 33% and even up to 50% for greenhouses and farm buildings