Greg Pica
Professor Grace
EK 131 Wind Energy
2 December 2012
Assessing the Health Effects of Wind Turbines
With the rise of vast amounts of renewable energy across the world, wind energy has got to be one of the most recognized of the bunch. It has primarily been praised for its many environmental and economic benefits. However, does wind energy deserve such a positive reputation? According to many researchers, wind turbines are linked to several negative health effects. These connections, however, do not always have the evidence to support their validity.
The reason wind turbines are a health hazard is usually attributed to high noise levels. High noise levels, among other reasons, lead to annoyance in those that live in close proximity to wind farms. Now, one can easily argue that annoyance is not really a health effect, but it can actually be more detrimental than expected. “Self-reported health effects of people living near wind turbines are more likely attributed to physical manifestation from an annoyed state than from wind turbines themselves”, says Loren D. Knopper of “Environmental Health Journal”. Here, Knopper suggests that wind turbines are not the cause of health problems, but annoyance is. However, wind turbines are proven to cause annoyance, so by association do they not contribute to health effects as well? It is safe to say that if turbine-caused annoyance leads to health issues, then so do the turbines themselves. So, what are such health issues? In “Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise From Wind Turbines: Exposure and Health Effects”, it is cited that, “the effects on the cardiovascular system by noise are assumed to be stress related and triggered by noise annoyance.” In addition to effects on the cardiovascular system, annoyance is known to cause headaches and sleep disturbance as well.
Sleep disturbance is one of the most substantial health effects from wind turbines. Again, this effect is linked to high noise levels. Sleep disturbance is common at a sound pressure level of 45db(A) or higher (Impact). True other sounds contribute to this pressure, but nonetheless, wind turbine noise affects quality of sleep in those that are in close proximity to it. It should be noted that only some people actually notice the sound. However, there is a direct correlation to increased sleep disturbance for those that hold its sensitivity. In addition to sleep disturbance, high noise levels can cause permanent hearing loss, temporary hearing loss, and psychological distress. Fatigue, constricted arteries, and a weakened immune system are also results of high noise level, but have no evidenced correlation to turbine noise (Alberts).
The high noise level result of psychological distress bears a significant amount of evidence. Those interviewed about psychological distress stated that their conditions either stayed the same or got worse after living near a wind turbine. “The more one is exposed to the sound of wind turbines, the more psychological distress is reported”, state the authors of “Science of The Total Environment”. Although psychological distress is a serious issue, it is rather minor compared to others that have been claimed results of wind turbine sounds.
Some people claim that wind turbines are so harmful that its various symptom effects add up to what is called “Wind Turbine Syndrome”. Dr. Nina Pierpont is most notably associated with this so-called disease through her extensive research. She believes that the wind turbines affect peoples’ vestibular organs of the sensory system. Pierpont lists many symptoms triggered by “vestibular dysregulation”: sleep disturbance, headache, tinnitus, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, tachycardia, irritability, problems with concentration and memory, and panic episodes associated with sensations of internal pulsation and quivering (Pierpont). Pierpont has dealt with several patients in her study, and found that symptoms of Wind Turbine Syndrome only occurred prior to turbine installation, and only when the patients were present at home. The main problem with Pierpont and Wind Turbine Syndrome is that there is not enough evidence to take it entirely seriously. Simon Chapman of “Wind Turbines Power Mass Hysteria” takes a comical approach at undermining Pierpont’s credibility. He lists lung cancer, leukemia, diabetes, herpes, electromagnetic spasms in the skull, infertility, and loss of bowels as health effects of wind turbines. He remains sarcastic and disbelieving throughout the article, coining the situation “mysterious” and “magic”.
Through assessing the health effects of wind turbines, several conclusions can be made. Wind turbines definitely have negative health effects – to an extent. These include, most notably, sleep disturbance, headaches, and psychological distress. In addition, annoyance from wind turbines could possibly be linked to heart related issues. Having established these evidenced effects, there are many more that do not have as strong of a backing. Such claimed results of wind turbines, although they are not as believable, should be taken with some seriousness. Although people may not actually have symptoms such as those of Wind Turbine Syndrome, many think they do. Therefore, a way to eliminate even the thought of having symptoms should be considered. With so many people having health problems related to wind turbines – or people that think they do – distaste for the renewable energy form is inevitable. If the hysteria goes too far, it may seriously hinder the installation process of new turbines. Therefore, states and countries need to consider a few things when installing new turbines. First and foremost, the turbines should be built 2 km away from houses in order to account for high noise levels. Several researchers share this suggestion, even Pierpont. Next, “the level at the façade outside the bedroom should not exceed 40 dB LAeq during the night to ensure undisturbed sleep” (Infrasound). Finally, the authors of “Wind Energy Development and Its Environmental Impact” list solutions such as “optimize the house structure to block out noise”, “put obstacles in the propagation path”, and “an optimized blade or serrated blade can reduce the noise level”. With solutions such as the ones listed previously, the negative health effects of wind turbines can be minimized. Then, the renewable energy form will fully live up to its positive reputation.
References
Alberts, D. (2006). Primer for Addressing Wind Turbine Noise. Retrieved from: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/windpower/pubs/pdf/AddressingWindTurbineNoise.pdf. Lawerence Tech. University.
Chapman, Simon. “Wind Turbines Power Mass Hysteria.” Web.ebscohost. N.p., Aug. 2012. Web. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=126&sid=f4ade65b-9aa9-4244-9e2c-1223a59b3543%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=eih&AN=78122232>.
“Health Effects and Wind Turbines: A Review of the Literature.” Environmental Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. <http://www.ehjournal.net/content/10/1/78>.
“Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise from Wind Turbines: Exposure and Health Effects.” N.p., 22 Sept. 2011. Web. http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/3/035103/pdf/1748-9326_6_3_035103.pdf
“Impact of Wind Turbine Sound on Annoyance, Self-reported Sleep Disturbance and Psychological Distress.” ScienceDirect.com.N.p., 15 May 2012. Web. http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/science/article/pii/S0048969712003373
Pierpont, Nina. “Wind Turbine Syndrome | “Inconvenient Truths: Wind Turbine Syndrome” (CounterPunch Magazine).” Wind Turbine Syndrome. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. <http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/2010/wind-turbine-syndrome-pierpont/?var=wts>.
Pierpont, Nina. “Wind Turbine Syndrome | Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Twenty-Minute Crash Course.”Wind Turbine Syndrome. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. <http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/2012/wind-turbine-syndrome-a-twenty-minute-crash-course/?
“Wind Energy Development and Its Environmental Impact: A Review.”ScienceDirect.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111004746>.