Health threat of wind turbines rejected

(PhysOrg.com) -- Dr. David Colby, associate professor in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, says concerns around the health implications of living near wind turbines have been blown out of proportion.

Colby is co-hosting a webinar Thursday, along with Geoff Leventhall, a consultant in noise vibration and acoustics in the United Kingdom, to discuss the myths and facts behind wind turbine syndrome and how scientific research is used to support and deny the claims made. The webinar begins at 11 a.m.

Colby does not see a connection between wind turbines and illnesses experienced by those living close to them.

“I do not deny they are feeling ill, but evidence for wind turbines being the cause is lacking,” he says.

Wind turbine syndrome was coined by Dr. Nina Pierpont, a pediatrician in New York state, to describe symptoms related to wind turbines, such as anxiety, hypertension, irritability, insomnia, nausea and dizziness, says Colby, adding this notion is based on an uncontrolled study of 38 selected people.

“If the symptoms are associated with wind turbines they are most likely due to annoyance effects. Annoyance is not a disease,” he says. “A dripping tap or a light in your bedroom at night may be annoying, but it is a stretch to classify them as health hazards. Wind turbine syndrome as such is not a recognized medical disorder.”

Although there are people on both sides of the argument, Colby says the research doesn’t support the concerns.

He notes that no controlled studies have been done and all of the reported symptoms are common and nonspecific.

“There is no evidence that the sounds or vibrations emitted by wind turbines (which are not unique in character or intensity) have any direct physiological effects and a plausible mechanism for making people sick is also lacking.”

Wind turbines are grazing the skyline of several communities across southwestern Ontario, particularly in the Great Lakes regions.

Many wind farms are sprouting up in Chatham-Kent, where Colby is the Acting Medical Officer of Health. He was asked by the municipal council to provide an opinion on the conflicting claims about the health effects of wind turbines. “Some people don't like the findings,” he says.

The majority of people living in areas close to the turbines do not have health concerns, he explains. In self-reported surveys, about 100 Ontarians have reported a wide variety of symptoms such as those associated with the so-called wind turbine syndrome.

“The public needs to know that wind turbines are healthier than all of the other viable means of energy generation,” he adds, noting Ontario has fairly conservative noise standards.

Aside from health, some critics express concerns about the visual impact of building wind turbine farms in their communities and along lakeshores.

Colby hopes the webinar will help the community better understand the debate and the scientific arguments and reasoning why wind turbines are not a detriment to the health of those living around them.

The webinar includes a 30-minute presentation, followed by a question and answer period. It is presented by the Great Lakes Regional Wind Energy Institute, with support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

To participate in the webinar, you must have an internet connection and a phone line. Pre-registration is not required.

Copy the link below into your web browser to connect at 11 a.m. on Feb. 11. To hear the audio, call into one of the phone numbers below.

Audio access: Toll free 877-951-7311; Toll 203-607-0666; Participant passcode - 9348502

Provided by University of Western Ontario