Health aspects associated with wind turbine noise—Results from three field studies

Wind farms are a new source of environmental noise. The impact of wind turbine noise on health and well-being has not yet been well-established and remains under debate. Long-term effects, especially, are not known, because of the short time wind turbines have been operating and the relatively few people who have so far been exposed to wind turbine noise. As the rate of new installations increases, so does the number of people being exposed to wind turbine noise and the importance of identifying possible adverse health effects. Data from three cross-sectional studies comprising A-weighted sound pressure levels of wind turbine noise, and subjectively measured responses from 1,755 people, were used to systematically explore the relationships between sound levels and aspects of health and well-being. Consistent findings, that is, where all three studies showed the same result, are presented, and possible associations between wind turbine noise and human health are discussed. © 2011 Institute of Noise Control Engineering.