Health Concerns:

Wind Energy advocates and developers claim that turbine noise is at lower sound levels than highways and roads. But in rural communities where the noise levels are exceedingly low, that is of little comfort. Most people move to rural areas for peace and quiet. However, in an area where 25 dBA is the normal background level, the 45-50 dBA range of even a moderately sized turbine is, in fact, extremely loud. ¹

The more insidious threat from turbines is not so much the "A level" noise but the low frequency noise commonly referred to as ultra low frequency sound or infrasound.

Because of the deep foundation necessary to stabilize the wind turbines, low frequency waves traveling through bedrock can cause health issues miles from the site. The wind industry ignores infrasound, taking the position that “what you can’t hear can’t hurt you.”

However, research shows that the middle ear does respond to infrasound and can influence the physiology of the ear.^1,2 Dr Alec Salt, Dept of Otolaryngology, from the Washington University School of Medicine, advocates a setback of one to four miles for this reason. He made this declaration at the 2010 symposium on Adverse Health Effects of Industrial Wind Turbines in Ontario.²

Dr Nina Pierpoint is one of 3 doctors worldwide studying the affects of wind turbines and has named the collection of symptoms associated with them, Wind Turbine Syndrome. ³

According to Pierpoint, the symptoms begin when the turbines go into operation and resolve when the turbines are off. The following are the most commonly documented ailments:

• Sleep problems- hard to fall asleep and frequent awakenings

• Increased headaches and increased severity of headaches

• Dizziness, unsteadiness and nausea

• Exhaustion, mood disorders

• Problems concentrating

• Ringing in the ears

There are two types of flicker associated from wind turbines, shadow flicker and strobing. Shadow flicker occurs when the blades move across the ground, while strobing occurs when the turbine blades catch the sun and reflect it back towards the viewer.

Flicker from turbines that interrupts or reflects sunlight at frequencies greater than 3 Hz can cause photosensitive seizures. (Sunlight is a precipitant of photosensitive seizures.) In a 1994 study, the investigators found that 1 out of 14 participants (n=454) had seizures precipitated by flickering sunlight. ⁴An article published in the journal, Epilepsia in 2008, by Graham Harding and al, recommends that rotation speeds for 3 bladed turbines not exceed 60 rpm, shadows should not fall upon any windows nearby, and reflection from turbine blades be minimized.

While not everyone within proximity of wind turbines suffer from these disorders, the numbers reporting such maladies is significant.³

1. Salt, Alec Infrasound: Your ears "hear" it but they don't tell your brain. Presentation at Symposium on Adverse Health Effects of Industrial Wind Turbines. Ontario, Oct 29-30 2010.

2. Salt, A. N., Responses of the ar to low frequency sounds, infrasound and wind turbines. Hearing Research 2010 Sep 1:268 (1-2)12-21

3. Nina Pierpoint, MD, PhD, Testimony before the New york State Legislature Energy Committee, 3-7-2006.

4. Harding GFA, Jeavons, PM (1994) Photosesitive epilepsey. MacKeith Press, London

5.Harding, Graham & al, Wind turbines, flicker and photosensitive epilespsy: Characterizing the flashing that may precipitate seizures and optimizing guidelines to prevent them. Epilepsia 49(6) 1095-1098 2008.