Wind turbines and human health

Frontiers in Public Health

Volumn 2, Issue JUN, 2014, Pages

  Knopper, Loren D ^a   Ollson, Christopher A ^a   McCallum, Lindsay C ^a   Aslund, Melissa L Whitfield ^a   Berger, Robert G ^a   Souweine, Kathleen ^b   McDaniel, Mary ^b  

^a Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc   (Canada)

^b Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc   (United States)

Author keywords

Annoyance; Electromagnetic fields; Human health; Infrasound; Low frequency noise; Noise; Shadow flicker; Wind turbines

Indexed keywords

EID: 84916233498     PISSN: None     EISSN: 22962565     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00063     Document Type: Review

References (101)

1. GWEC (Global Wind Energy Council). Global Wind Energy Statistics 2013. (2014). Available from: http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ GWEC-PRstats-2013_EN.pdf
2. Upham P, Whitmarsh L, Poortinga W, Purdam K, Darnton A, McLachlan C, et al. Public Attitudes to Environmental Change: A Selective Review of Theory and Practice.Swindon, UK: Economic and Social Research Council/Livingwith Environmental Change Programme (2009).
3. Pierpont N. Wind Turbine Syndrome. Santa Fe, NM: K-Selected Books (2009).
4. Pedersen E, Persson Waye K. Perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise - a dose-response relationship. J Acoust Soc Am (2004) 116:3460-70. doi:10.1121/1.1815091
5. Pedersen E, Persson Waye K. Wind turbine noise, annoyance and self-reported health and well-being in different living environments. Occup Environ Med (2007) 64:480-6. doi:10.1136/oem.2006.031039
6. Chapman S, St George A, Waller K, Cakic V. The pattern of complaints about Australian wind farms does not match the establishment and distribution of turbines: support for the psychogenic,'communicated disease'hypothesis.PLoS One (2013) 8:e76584. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076584
7. Crichton F, Dodd G, Schmid G, Gamble G, Cundy T, Petrie KJ. Can expectations produce symptoms from infrasound associated with wind turbines? Health Psychol (2014) 33:360-4. doi:10.1037/a0031760
8. Crichton F, Dodd G, Schmid G, Gamble G, Cundy T, Petrie KJ. The power of positive and negative expectations to influence reported symptoms and mood during exposure to wind farm sound. Health Psychol (2013). doi:10. 1037/hea0000037
9. Knopper LD, Ollson CA. Health effects and wind turbines: a review of the literature. Environ Health (2011) 10:78. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-10-78
10. van den Berg GP. Effects of the wind profile at night on wind turbine sound. J Sound Vib (2003) 277:955-70. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2003.09.050
11. Leventhall G. Infrasound from wind turbines - fact, fiction or deception? Can Acoust (2006) 34:29-36.
12. Pedersen E, Hallberg LRM, Persson Waye K. Living in the vicinity of wind turbines - a grounded theory study. Qual Res Psychol (2007) 4:49-63. doi:10.1080/14780880701473409
13. Keith SE, Michaud DS, Bly SHP. A proposal for evaluating the potential health effects of wind turbine noise for projects under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. J Low Freq Noise Vib Active Control (2008) 27:253-65. doi:10.1260/026309208786926796
14. Harding G, Harding P, Wilkins A. Wind turbines, flicker, and photosensitive epilepsy: characterizing the flashing that may precipitate seizures and optimizing guidelines to prevent them. Epilepsia (2008) 49:1095-8. doi:10.1111/j. 1528-1167.2008.01563.x
15. PedersenE,PerssonWaye K.Wind turbines- lowlevel noise sources interfering with restoration? Environ Res Lett (2008) 3:1-5. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/3/1/ 015002
16. Pedersen E, Larsman P. The impact of visual factors on noise annoyance among people living in the vicinity of wind turbines. J Environ Psychol (2008) 28:379-89. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.03.005
17. Pedersen E, van den Berg F, Bakker R, Bouma J. Response to noise from modern wind farms in The Netherlands. J Acoust Soc Am (2009) 126:634-43. doi:10.1121/1.3160293
18. Pedersen E, van den Berg F, Bakker R, Bouma J. Can road traffic mask the sound from wind turbines? Response to wind turbine sound at different levels of road traffic. Energ Policy (2010) 38:2520-7. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010. 01.001
19. Smedley ARD, Webb AR, Wilkins AJ. Potential of wind turbines to elicit seizures under various meteorological conditions.Epilepsia (2010) 51:1146-51. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02402.x
20. Salt AN, Hullar TE. Responses of the ear to low frequency sounds, infra-sound and wind turbines. Hear Res (2010) 268:12-21. doi:10.1016/j.heares. 2010.06.007
21. Pedersen E. Health aspects associated with wind turbine noise - results from three field studies. Noise Control Eng J (2011) 59:47-53. doi:10.3397/ 1.3533898
22. O'Neal RD, Hellweg RD Jr, Lampeter RM. Low frequency noise and infra-sound from wind turbines. Noise Control Eng J (2011) 59:135-57. doi:10.3397/ 1.3549200
23. Shepherd D, McBride D, Welch D, Dirks KN, Hill EM. Evaluating the impact of wind turbine noise on health related quality of life. Noise Health (2011) 13:333-9. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.85502
24. Janssen SA, Vos H, Pedersen E. A comparison between exposure-response relationships for wind turbine annoyance and annoyance due to other noise sources. J Acoust Soc Am (2011) 130:3746-53. doi:10.1121/1.3653984
25. VerheijenE,JabbenJ,SchreursE,SmithKB.Impactof windturbinenoiseinThe Netherlands. Noise Health (2011) 13:459-63. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.90331
26. Bakker RH, Pedersen E, van den Berg GP, Stewart RE, Lok W,Bouma J. Impact of wind turbine sound on annoyance, self-reported sleep disturbance and psychological distress. Sci Total Environ (2012) 425:42-51. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv. 2012.03.005
27. Nissenbaum MA, Aramini JJ, Hanning CD. Effects of industrial wind turbine noise on sleep and health. Noise Health (2012) 12:237-43. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.102961
28. Ollson CA, Knopper LD, McCallum LC, Whitfield-Aslund ML. Are the find-ings of"effects of industrial wind turbine noise on sleep and health"supported? Noise Health (2013) 15:68-71. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.110302
29. Barnard M. Letter to editor: issues of wind turbine noise. Noise Health (2013) 63:150-2. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.110305
30. Mroczek B, Kurpas D, Karakiewicz B. Influence of distances between places of residence and wind farms on the quality of life in nearby areas. Ann Agric Environ Med (2012) 19:692-6.
31. Taylor J, Eastwick C,Wilson R, Lawrence C. The influence of negative oriented personality traits on the effects of wind turbines noise. Pers Individ Diff (2012) 54:338-43. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2012.09.018
32. Evans T, Cooper J. Comparison of predicted and measured wind farm noise levels and implications for assessments of new wind farms. Acoust Aust (2012) 40:28-36.
33. Maffei L,IachiniT,MasulloM,AlettaF,SorrentinoF,Senese VP,et al. The effects of vision-related aspects on noise perception of wind turbines in quiet areas. Int J Environ Res Public Health (2013) 10:1681-97. doi:10.3390/ijerph10051681
34. Van Renterghem T, Bockstael A, De Weirt V, Bottledooren D. Annoyance, detection and recognition of wind turbine noise. Sci Total Environ (2013) 456:333-45. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.03.095
35. Baxter J, Morzaria R, Hirsch R. A case-control study of support/opposition to wind turbines: perceptions of health risk, economic benefit, and community conflict. Energy Policy (2013) 61:931-43. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.050
36. Whitfield Aslund ML, Ollson CA, Knopper LD. Projected contributions of future wind farm development to community noise and annoyance levels in Ontario, Canada. Energ Policy (2013) 62:44-50. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07. 070
37. MøllerH,Pedersen CS. Low-frequency noise from large wind turbines. J Acoust Soc Am (2011) 129:3727-44. doi:10.1121/1.3543957
38. Bolin K, Bluhm G, Eriksson G, Nilsson ME. Infrasound and low frequency noise from wind turbines: exposure and health effects. Environ Res Lett (2011) 6:106. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/3/035103
39. Rand RW, Ambrose SE, Krogh CME. Occupational health and industrial wind turbines: a case study. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:359-62. doi:10.1177/ 0270467611417849
40. Ambrose SE, Rand RW, Krogh CME. Wind turbine acoustic investigation: infrasound and low-frequency noise: a case study. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2012) 32:128-41. doi:10.1177/0270467612455734
41. Turnbull C, Turner J, Walsh D. Measurement and level of infrasound from wind farms and other sources. Acoust Aust (2012) 40:45-50.
42. Havas M, Colling D. Wind turbines make waves: why some residents near wind turbines become ill. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:414-26. doi:10.1177/ 0270467611417852
43. Israel M, Ivanova P, Ivanova M. Electromagnetic fields and other physical factors around wind power generators (pilot study). Environmentalist (2011) 31:161-8. doi:10.1007/s10669-011-9315-z
44. McCallum LC, Whitfield Aslund ML, Knopper LD, Ferguson GM, Ollson CA. Measuring electromagnetic fields (EMF) around wind turbines in Canada: is there a human health concern? Environ Health (2014) 13:9. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-9
45. Hanning CD, Evans A. Wind turbine noise seems to affect health adversely and an independent review of evidence is needed. BMJ (2012) 344:e1527. doi:10.1136/bmj.e1527
46. Chapman S. Editorial ignored 17 reviews on wind turbines and health. BMJ (2012) 344:e3366. doi:10.1136/bmj.e3366
47. FarboudA,CrunkhornR,TrinidadeA.Wind turbine syndrome:fact orfiction? J Laryngol Otol (2013) 127:222-6. doi:10.1017/S0022215112002964
48. McCubbin D,Sovacool BK. Quantifying the health and environmental benefits of wind power to natural gas. Energy Policy (2013) 53:429-41. doi:10.1016/j. enpol.2012.11.004
49. Roberts JD,Roberts MA. Wind turbines: isthereahuman health risk? J Environ Health (2013) 75:8-17.
50. Chapman S, St George A. How the factoid of wind turbines causing 'vibroa-coustic disease' came to be 'irrefutably demonstrated'. Aust N Z J Public Health 3) (2013)37:244-9. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12066
51. Jeffery RD, Krogh C, Horner B. Adverse health effects of industrial wind turbines. Can Fam Physician (2013) 59:473-5.
52. JefferyRD, Krogh CME, HornerB.Industrial wind turbines and adverse health effects. Can J Rural Med (2014) 19:21-6.
53. Botha P. Wind turbine noise and health-related quality of life of nearby residents: a cross-sectional study in New Zealand. Proceedings of the 4th International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise. Rome: INCE Europe (2011). p. 1-8.
54. Michaud DS,Keith SE,McMurchyD.Noise annoyanceinCanada.Noise Health (2005) 7:39-47. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.31634
55. McMurtryRY. Towarda case definition of adverse health effectsin the environs of industrial wind turbines: facilitating a clinical diagnosis. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:316-20. doi:10.1177/0270467611415075
56. MassDEP and MDPH. Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report on Independent Expert Panel. Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Public Health (2012). Available from: http://www.mass.gov/dep/energy/ wind/turbine_impact_study.pdf
57. Yuan H, Long H, Liu J, Qu L, Chen J, Mou X. Effects of infrasound on hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in rats and some underlying mechanisms. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol (2009) 28:243-7. doi:10.1016/j.etap. 2009.04.011
58. Page LA, Petrie KJ, Wessely S. Psychosocial responses to environmental incidents: a review and proposed typology. J Psychosom Res (2006) 60:413-22. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.11.008
59. Schwartz SP, White PE, Hughes RG. Environmental threats, communities, and hysteria. J Public Health Policy (1985) 6:58-77. doi:10.2307/3342018
60. Health Canada. Electric and Magnetic Fields from Power Lines and Appliances (Catalogue # H13-7/70-2012E-PDF). Ottawa: Government of Canada (2012).
61. WHO. Electromagnetic Fields. (2012). Available from: http://www.who.int/ peh-emf/en/
62. ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric and magnetic fields (1 Hz-100 kHz). Health Phys (2010) 99:818-36. doi:10.1097/HP. 0b013e3181f06c86
63. IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Nonionizing Radiation, Part 1: Static and Extremely Low-Frequency (ELF) Electric and Magnetic Fields. (Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, 80). Lyon: IARC (2002).
64. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. EMF-Electric and Magnetic Fields Associated with the Use of Electric Power. Questions & Answers. Research Triangle Park, NC: NIEHS/DOE EMF RAPID Program (2002).
65. WHO. Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health, Exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Fields Fact Sheet No. 322. Geneva: World Health Organization (2007).
66. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). EMF in Your Environment: Magnetic Field Measurements of Everyday Electrical Devices. Washington, DC: Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, Radiation Studies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1992).
67. UK DECC. Update of UK Shadow Flicker Evidence Base: Final Report. London: Department of Energy and Climate Change (2011).
68. Haugen KMB. International Review of Policies and Recommendations for Wind Turbine Setbacks from Residences: Setbacks, Noise, Shadow Flicker, and Other Concerns. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Commerce (2011). p. 1-43.
69. Intrinsik. Scientific Critique of Articles BSTS 2011, Vol 31. Final report (2011).
70. Phillips CV. Properly interpreting the epidemiologic evidence about the health effects of industrial wind turbines on nearby residents. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:303-15. doi:10.1177/0270467611412554
71. Harrison JP. Wind turbine noise. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:256-61. doi:10.1177/0270467611412549
72. Krogh CME. Industrial wind turbine development and loss of social justice? Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:321-33. doi:10.1177/0270467611412550
73. ThorneB. The problems with"noise numbers"forwind farm noise assessment. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:262-90. doi:10.1177/0270467611412557
74. Bronzaft AL. The noise from wind turbines: potential adverse impacts on children's well-being. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:291-5. doi:10.1177/ 0270467611412548
75. Shain M. Public health ethics, legitimacy, and the challenges of industrial wind turbines: the case of Ontario, Canada. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:346-53. doi:10.1177/0270467611412552
76. Salt AN, Kaltenbach JA. Infrasound from wind turbines could affect humans. Bull Sci Technol Soc (2011) 31:296-302. doi:10.1177/0270467611412555
77. National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia. Wind Turbines and Health: A Rapid Review of the Evidence. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia (2010). p. 1-11.
78. Chief Medical Officer of Health Ontario. The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines. Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) report. Toronto, ON: Queen's Printer for Ontario (2010). p. 1-14.
79. Oregon Health Authority. Strategic Health Impact Assessment on Wind Energy Development in Oregon. Salem, OR: Office of Environmental Public Health, Public Health Division (2013).
80. Merlin T, Newton S, Ellery B, Milverton J, Farah C. Systematic Review of the Human Health Effects of Wind Farms. Canberra, ACT: National Health and Medical Research Council (2014).
81. Berglund B, Lindvall T editors. Community Noise. Stockholm: Center for Sensory Research, Stockholm University and Karolinska Institute (1995).
82. Laszlo HE, McRobie ES, Stansfeld SA, Hansell AL. Annoyance and other reaction measures to changes in noise exposure - a review. Sci Total Environ (2012) 435:551-62. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.112
83. WHO. Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise: Quantification of Healthy Life Years Lost in Europe. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe (2011).
84. Grimwood CJ, Skinner GJ, Raw GJ. The UK national noise attitude survey 1999/2000. Proceedings of the Noise Forum Conference; 2002 May 20; London: CIEH (2002).
85. Babisch W. The noise/stress concept, risk assessment and research needs. Noise Health (2002) 4:1-11.
86. Fields JM, de Jong RG, Gjestland T, Flindell IH, Job RFS, Kurra S, et al. Standardized general-purpose noise reaction questions for community noise surveys: research and recommendation. Sound Vib (2001) 242:641-79. doi:10. 1006/jsvi.2000.3384
87. Fields JM, de Jong R, Brown AL, Flindell IH, Gjestland T, Job RFS, et al. Guidelines for reporting core information from community noise reaction surveys. Sound Vib (1997) 206:685-95. doi:10.1006/jsvi.1997.1144
88. Job RFS. The role of psychological factors in community reaction to noise. In: Vallet M, editor. Noise as a Public Health Problem. (Vol. 3), Arcueil Cedex: INRETS (1993). p. 47-79.
89. Öhrström E. Longitudinal surveys on effects of changes in road traffic noise. J Acoust Soc Am (2004) 115:719-29. doi:10.1121/1.1639333
90. Öhrström E, Skånberg A, Svensson H, Gidlöf-Gunnarsson A. Effects of road traffic noise and the benefit of access to quietness. J Sound Vib (2006) 295:40-59. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2005.11.034
91. Fields JM. Effect of personal and situational variables on noise annoyance in residential areas. J Acoust Soc Am (1993) 93:2753-63. doi:10.1121/1.405851
92. Guski R. Personal and social variables as co-determinants of noise annoyance. Noise Health (1999) 1:45-56.
93. Miedema HME, Vos H. Demographic and attitudinal factors that modify annoyance from transportation noise. J Acoust Soc Am (1999) 105:3336-44. doi:10.1121/1.424662
94. Boss LP. Epidemic hysteria: a review of the published literature. Epidemiol Rev (1997) 19:233-43. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.epirev.a017955
95. Henningsen P, Priebe S. New environmental illnesses: what are their characteristics? Psychother Psychosom (2003) 72:231-4. doi:10.1159/000071893
96. Petrie KJ, Sivertsen B, Hysing M, Broadbent E, Moss-Morris R, Eriksen HR, et al. Thoroughly modern worries: the relationship of worries about modernity to reported symptoms, health and medical care utilization. J Psychosom Res (2001) 51:395-401. doi:10.1016/S0022-3999(01)00219-7
97. Deignan B, Harvey E, Hoffman-Goetz L. Fright factors about wind turbines and health in Ontario newspapers before and after the Green Energy Act. Health Risk Soc (2013) 15:234-50. doi:10.1080/13698575.2013. 776015
98. American Psychological Association (APA). Stress in America Findings. Washington, DC: APA (2010).
99. Mayo Clinic. Stress symptoms: Effects on Your Body, Feelings and Behavior. (2011). Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-symptoms/ SR00008_D
100. WHO. Night Noise Guidelines for Europe. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe (2009).
101. McCoy D, Montgomery H, Arulkumaran S, Godlee F. Climate change and human survival. BMJ (2014) 348:g2351. doi:10.1136/bmj.g2351