scholarly journals Infrasound and low frequency noise from wind turbines: exposure and health effects

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 035103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Bolin ◽  
Gösta Bluhm ◽  
Gabriella Eriksson ◽  
Mats E Nilsson
2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. O’Neal ◽  
Robert D. Hellweg ◽  
Richard M. Lampeter

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-197
Author(s):  
John Laurence Davy ◽  
Kym Burgemeister ◽  
David Hillman ◽  
Simon Carlile

Abstract This manuscript describes a range of technical deliberations undertaken by the authors during their work as members of the Australian Government’s Independent Scientific Committee on Wind Turbines. Central to these deliberations was the requirement upon the committee to improve understanding and monitoring of the potential impacts of sound from wind turbines (including low frequency and infrasound) on health and the environment. The paper examines existing wind turbine sound limits, possible perceptual and physiological effects of wind turbine noise, aspects of the effects of wind turbine sound on sleep health and quality of life, low-frequency noise limits, the concept of annoyance including alternative causes of it and the potential for it to be affected by low-frequency noise, the influence of amplitude modulation and tonality, sound measurement and analysis and management strategies. In so doing it provides an objective basis for harmonisation across Australia of provisions for siting and monitoring of wind turbines, which currently vary from state to state, contributing to contention and potential inequities between Australians, depending on their place of residence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Hsiang Chiu ◽  
Shih-Chun Candice Lung ◽  
Nathan Chen ◽  
Jing-Shiang Hwang ◽  
Ming-Chien Mark Tsou

AbstractWind turbines generate low-frequency noise (LFN, 20–200 Hz), which poses health risks to nearby residents. This study aimed to assess heart rate variability (HRV) responses to LFN exposure and to evaluate the LFN exposure (dB, LAeq) inside households located near wind turbines. Thirty subjects living within a 500 m radius of wind turbines were recruited. The field campaigns for LFN (LAeq) and HRV monitoring were carried out in July and December 2018. A generalized additive mixed model was employed to evaluate the relationship between HRV changes and LFN. The results suggested that the standard deviations of all the normal to normal R–R intervals were reduced significantly, by 3.39%, with a 95% CI = (0.15%, 6.52%) per 7.86 dB (LAeq) of LFN in the exposure range of 38.2–57.1 dB (LAeq). The indoor LFN exposure (LAeq) ranged between 30.7 and 43.4 dB (LAeq) at a distance of 124–330 m from wind turbines. Moreover, households built with concrete and equipped with airtight windows showed the highest LFN difference of 13.7 dB between indoors and outdoors. In view of the adverse health impacts of LFN exposure, there should be regulations on the requisite distances of wind turbines from residential communities for health protection.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Berger ◽  
Payam Ashtiani ◽  
Christopher A. Ollson ◽  
Melissa Whitfield Aslund ◽  
Lindsay C. McCallum ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Junta Tagusari ◽  
Sho Sato ◽  
Toshihito Matsui

Low-frequency noise may create specific perceptions, which might cause various health effects. The present study aimed to identify exposure–response relationships between low-frequency noise and perceptions by re-analysing an experimental study. We investigated the predominant perceptions of ‘feeling bothered’ and ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’ using multivariate logistic regression analysis. A significant interaction between 1/3 octave-band sound pressure level and frequency was indicated for ‘feeling bothered’ but not ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’, suggesting that the ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’ does not originate in cochlear. A mathematical model indicating resonance at approximately 50 Hz fitted the results well. A frequency weighting derived from the mathematical model could be applied to broad-band low-frequency noise to evaluate the perception and health effects. However, further investigations on the weighting for the perception are necessary because the results were obtained only from the existing study.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad Abbasi ◽  
Majid Motamedzade ◽  
Mohsen Aliabadi ◽  
Rostam Golmohammadi ◽  
Leila Tapak

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological and mental health effects caused by exposure to low-frequency noise in typical control rooms and office-like areas. The participants were 35 male students who were exposed to noise at levels of 55, 65, 70, and 75 dBA. The N-back test was used at three cognitive performance loads (low workload ( n = 1), medium workload ( n = 2), and high workload ( n = 3) to evaluate working memory simultaneously in an air conditioning chamber in four sessions with a constant level. The electroencephalography, electrocardiogram, and electrooculography were measured using Nexus 4 by Bio traces software (Mind Media Co.). For evaluation of mental fatigue, fatigue visual analog scale, and psycho-physiological indices were also used. The results showed that the losses of physiological and mental health were rapidly increased with exposure to noise levels of 65–75 dBA. The results showed that mental fatigue significantly affected heart rate, low- to high-frequency ratios, and electroencephalogram indices such as theta, alpha, as well as eye activities and working memory. The findings confirmed that the mental fatigue caused by low-frequency noise significantly impacted the employees’ psycho-physiological and working memory responses. Implementation of the effective interventions to overcome employees’ mental fatigue in typical control rooms and office-like areas can improve the health and acoustic comfort and, consequently, the cognitive performance.


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