The Health Effects of Wind Turbines

Proponents of wind power advocate that it is a cleaner energy source than coal, oil or gas. They say it is cheaper than the alternatives, and provides sustainable income for the farmers whose land is used. The popularity of wind power is growing -- in 2009, 21 percent of Denmark's power came from wind. Ontario, Canada is aiming for 10 percent by 2030. As wind power grows in popularity, its critics are gaining momentum, citing health effects as their most serious complaint.

Wind Turbine Syndrome

• Dr. Nina Pierpont, a New York pediatrician, published "Wind Turbine Syndrome" in 2009. Pierpont suggested that health concerns, which included nausea, headaches, vertigo, dizziness and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, could be due to low frequency sounds from the turbines located close to homes. She reported that the health effect was worse in those who already suffered from migraines, motion sickness or inner ear problems such as vertigo. She concluded that the closest a wind turbine should be to a home is 1.25 miles.

Headaches

• Some people who experience headaches attribute them to the presence of wind turbines in their area. A health study by the Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario, Canada concluded that wind turbine noise does not cause adverse health effects, "although some people may find it annoying." The study indicated that an average turbine should be located at least 1/3 of a mile from residences to ensure the noise level does not cause health problems.

Nausea

• Nausea is a common health symptom that causes a person to experience discomfort in the upper stomach and a sensation of needing to vomit. It can come from many different health conditions, including stress, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and inner ear problems. It is unknown whether nausea is the initial complaint of a resident of a wind farm area, or a secondary complaint due to another symptom.

Dizziness

• Dizziness occurs when the vestibular system of the human body is weakened, as in the case of an inner ear disease, or when it is overly sensitive. Research conducted in Portugal concluded that wind turbines "contributed to vibroacoustic disease" -- a syndrome in which the body reacts to low frequency noise.

Sleep Deprivation

• Sleep deprivation can reduce the body's ability to fight disease, and can make existing mental and physical health conditions worse. The noise from wind turbines is sometimes cited as a reason for sleep deprivation by those living near wind farms. The World Health Organization recommends that noise levels at night in residential areas should not exceed 45 dBA, or about the noise level experienced in a library. If wind turbines are located far enough away from houses, the noise the turbines produce meets the standard.

Anxiety

• Some residents of wind farm areas complain that their anxiety is increased by the turbines. One explanation is the low frequency sound that the turbines produce. The human body has a high sensitivity to low frequency sounds, even those that cannot be perceived by the ear. The range of sound emitted by a typical turbine farm, however, does not reach the level that should cause such annoyance. According to a report in the Journal of Canadian Acoustics, "Infrasound from wind turbines is below the audible threshold and of no consequence."

Health Benefits

• Wind energy can potentially reduce the reliance on energy forms that are known to cause health problems. Coal and oil are a health risk due to carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions, which have been linked to lung disease, heart disease and cancer in humans. Wind turbines, along with other renewable energy sources such as solar energy, can thereby help reduce the incidence of asthma, other lung diseases, heart disease and cancer.

Conclusion

• The debate over wind turbine farms has gained momentum as more and more farms are planned. While many benefits of wind energy are clear, the disadvantages of this form of energy continue to be studied, reported, analyzed and refuted. What is clear is that the list of health effects generally flagged as problematic are a constellation of effects that are difficult to quantify and report objectively.