Wind turbines and human health

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Acoustics
• Public Health

Background:

• The health impacts of wind turbines are a subject of ongoing debate.
• Concerns include electromagnetic fields (EMF), shadow flicker, and various noise types (audible, low-frequency, infrasound).
• Some attribute health effects to turbine operation, while others suggest subjective factors influence perceived impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze the scientific literature on wind turbine-related noise, EMF, and shadow flicker.
• To assess the evidence linking these factors to human health effects.
• To provide recommendations for best practices in wind turbine development.

Main Methods:

• Bibliographic review and analysis of approximately 60 scientific peer-reviewed articles.
• Focus on scientific evidence concerning noise (audible, low-frequency, infrasound), EMF, and shadow flicker.
• Evaluation of the relationship between environmental noise, subjective variables, and self-reported health.

Main Results:

• Scientific evidence suggests EMF, shadow flicker, low-frequency noise, and infrasound from wind turbines are unlikely to affect human health.
• Audible noise can cause annoyance, potentially linked to self-reported health effects like sleep disturbance above 40 dB(A).
• Subjective factors (attitudes, expectations) can influence annoyance and health complaints via the nocebo effect.

Conclusions:

• The weight of evidence indicates that properly sited wind turbines are not associated with adverse health outcomes.
• Siting restrictions can mitigate noise annoyance.
• Recommendations for best practices in wind turbine development are provided to address human health considerations.