This document provides a useful compilation of recent research pertaining to the impact of wind turbines on human health.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe launched these updated Night noise guidelines for Europe. The guidelines provide ground-breaking evidence on how exposure to night noise can damage people's health, and recommends guideline levels to protect health. 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. Sleepers that are exposed to higher levels over the year can suffer mild health effects, such as sleep disturbance and insomnia. 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. One in five Europeans is regularly exposed to such noise levels. A summary of the findings is provided below. Click on the link to access the full document.

This talk was presented at the annual conference of the Canadian Acoustics Association.

The Maine Osteopathic Association Board of Directors adopted this important resolution regarding wind energy development and public health at its September 25, 2009 meeting.

This affidavit by Dr. Michael Nissenbaum was submitted in support of an appeal filed with Maine's Board of Environmental Protection. The aggrieved parties are opposing the final order permitting the Record Hill wind energy facility issued by Maine's Department of Environmental Protection on August 20, 2009. The proposed project will include 22 industrial scale turbines sited in Roxbury, Maine. Dr. Nissenbaum asserts that turbines can cause adverse effects on human health.

The Maine Medical Association adopted this important resolution regarding wind energy development and public health at its September 12, 2009 annual meeting.

This report appeared in this month's edition of Advance for Audiologists, a trade magazine for professional audiologists.

The residents of Libertyville, IL struggled since April 2009 with noise and flicker from a 120-foot, 50 kilowatt Entegrity wind turbine erected within 250-feet of residential properties. Following a civil proceeding seeking relief from the noise and other nuisances, the Court issued a compromise ruling ordering turbine operation be restricted to weekdays only during the hours of 9am to 3pm. Below is an excerpt of the court transcript explaining the law supporting the Court's ruling. The full transcript can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

This community based surveillance activity was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Robert McMurtry, the Former Dean of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario. The health survey revealed that out of 76 respondents, 53 people now living near different wind power facilities in Ontario reported that industrial wind turbines were having a significant negative impact on their lives. The adverse effects range from headaches and sleep disturbance to tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and depression. The abstract of his report is posted below. The full report, complete with responses from participants can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

This report by Frits van den Berg appeared in the Summer 2009 issue of Echoes, the newsletter of the Acoustical Society of America.