Wind turbines have no effect on health, says US study

A major study has concluded that the sound from wind turbines has no effect on the health of people who live or work near them.

The study, which claims to be the most thorough of its kind, was compiled by a panel of medical doctors, audiologists and acoustical professionals for the American Wind Energy Association and the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

"There is no evidence that the sounds, nor the sub-audible vibrations, emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects on humans," said Dr Robert J McCunney, one of the authors of the study.

The objective of the panel was to provide an authoritative reference document for policy officials making legislative and regulatory decisions about wind turbine developments.

Most complaints about wind turbine sound relate to the aerodynamic sound – or "swish" noise – produced by the turbine blades. Some anti-wind farm groups have argued that these noises contribute to so-called wind turbine syndrome and vibroacoustic disease – tissue inflammation from sound exposure.

The term wind turbine syndrome was coined by Dr Nina Pierpont, a New York paediatrician, who published a book earlier this year arguing that wind farms can damage people's health. However, her findings were widely criticised by industry experts who argued that her conclusions appeared to be based on interviews with just 10 families.

The new report states that evidence indicates wind turbine syndrome is based on misinterpretation of physiologic data and that the apparent features of the so-called syndrome are merely a subset of annoyance reactions.

It also argues that the evidence that wind turbines contribute to vibroacoustic disease is extremely dubious at levels of sound associated with wind turbines.

In addition, the study found that a small minority of people exposed to sound levels from wind turbines report annoyance and stress, but there was no evidence of adverse health effects. It added that sound levels from turbines are similar to the ambient noise levels in urban environments.

"Some people may be annoyed at the presence of sound from wind turbines. Annoyance is not a pathological entity," the report says.

The report, which comes just days after a separate US study concluded there was no evidence wind turbines have an adverse effect on property prices, will provide a further boost to wind farm developers globally, who frequently face opposition to new developments based in part on local residents' health concerns.

In related news, the Sunday Times reported this weekend that British civil servants had removed a recommendation from a consultant's report that argued the best way to guard against complaints against turbines was to lower guidelines for acceptable noise levels.

The leaked early draft of the report indicated that the sound level permitted from turbines was set too high at 43 decibels, meaning local residents could be disturbed by new developments. However, the recommendation was removed from the final report.