NHWAG.co.uk Health

Summary of Recent Research on Adverse Health Effects of Wind Turbines There is already ample scientific evidence that low frequency noise is a cause of sleep disturbance in humans. The evidence also suggests that long term exposure normally leads to serious health problems. The only effective mitigation is to adequately separate wind turbine developments from sensitive wildlife habitats and human dwellings

Author: Stelling, Keith; and Krogh, Carmen

The WHO for Europe launched updated Night noise guidelines for Europe - September, 2009
The new limit is an annual average night exposure not exceeding 40 decibels (dB), corresponding to the sound from a quiet street in a residential area. Long-term average exposure to levels above 55 dB, similar to the noise from a busy street, can trigger elevated blood pressure and heart attacks.

World Health Organisation

From the 2007 study by Dr Amanda Harry

81% felt that their health had been affected

73% that their quality of life had suffered

Chronic tiredness is the main symptom which may be the cause of some of the other symptoms.

Most common symptoms

Number suffering

Tiredness/lack of sleep

over 70%

Headaches

over 70%

Migraine

over 25%

Stress anxiety

over 50%

Ear/hearing/balance

Concentration

Palpitations

over 15 %

Factors affecting Health & Safety

Proximity to turbines

Wind and speed direction

Size/power of turbines

Pre existing medical conditions

Not everybody is affected to the same degree

Health Research Problems

No large scale government research has been undertaken

Current studies have been undertaken by doctors who have noticed changing patterns of health problems after the installation of nearby wind turbines.

To little data is available

Until recently windfarms were built in remote areas where relatively few people have been affected

The research is criticised because of the small data samples

"Experts" dismiss the reseach as not being "significant"

If you publicise your health problems you can't sell your house

You want to move but can't

Some people are "gagged" by the developers

For various reason some people have signed agreements with developers eg the developers have installed double or triple glazing for them.

A Swedish Experience Wind turbines produce nothing but a nightmare for neighbourhoods: conflicts between former friends and within families, stress, ill health ... I left my home because of a wind turbine placed 650 m from my house. One day in 1998 mine and my neighbours' lives changed dramatically. The noise is a torture." Lotta Nilsson, Laholm Sweden	An English Experience ...8 turbines of 100m became operational in the summer 2006. By May 2007 we were forced to abandon our home as a place to sleep and live... Jane Davies, retired Nurse and Health Visitor, Spalding S Lincs 930m and downwind from a windfarm	An English Experience We did not object to the windfarm in the planning stage as we had no reason to think that there would be any issues for us and we believed, at that time, that wind power was good way of meeting the energy gap. As a result of our experiences, ... ...we have been invited to talk to in excess of 40 communities across the UK where windfarms are proposed Jane Davies, retired Nurse and Health Visitor, Spalding S Lincs 930m and downwind from a windfarm
Country Guardian Wind farms 'make people sick who live up to a mile away' An article about the effects of low frequency noise on people living near wind farms.	The Caithness Campaign The statistics are at www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk The Caithness Campaign has collected and catalogued accident statistics over a long period of time.	An Australian Experience Electricity Nightmares A powerful presentation from Australian TV of the effects on residents living near a Spanish built wind farm.
www.visitwalesnow.org.uk ONSHORE WIND TURBINES: WHO IS LOOKING AFTER PUBLIC SAFETY? An article on the dangers from windfarms and the lack of concern for public safety.	Listen to an American radio interview with a farmer who signed up to have a wind farm on his land and now regrets it. The quality of the sound is not very good but persevere	A Swedish Experience Wind turbines produce nothing but a nightmare for neighbourhoods: conflicts between former friends and within families, stress, ill health ... I left my home because of a wind turbine placed 650 m from my house. One day in 1998 mine and my neighbours' lives changed dramatically. The noise is a torture." Lotta Nilsson, Laholm Sweden
Life for our family since the windfarm began operating has been filled with sorrow, illness, heartache and disbelief Daniel d’Entremont, Nova Scotia, Canada How could a company be permitted to enter our community and turn our pristine area into a noise-ravaged battleground? The noise is like “surround” sound: it’s omni-directional. It feels like there’s this evil thing hovering above you and it follows you everywhere. It will not leave you alone. This noise will not allow you to have your own thoughts, the body cannot adapt, it’s a violation of your body. It is a noise that the human body cannot adapt to even after more than a year of exposure. As time progresses the noise becomes even more unbearable	Barbara Frey & Peter Hadden 2007 Noise Radiation From Wind Turbines Installed Near Homes: Effects on Health Read the Abstract