TORONTO – A Health Canada study has found no evidence to support a link between exposure to wind turbine noise and health effects reported by people living near the towering structures.
However, the study did find a relationship between increasing levels of wind turbine noise and residents’ annoyance related to noise, vibration and shadow flicker from the structures.
The year-long study explored the relationship between exposure to noise and health effects reported by people living near wind turbines.
The study included a detailed questionnaire to an adult resident in more than 1,200 households in southwestern Ontario and P.E.I. living at various distances from almost 400 wind turbines.
A subgroup of residents also had measurements taken of health-related indicators such as hair cortisol as a biomarker of stress, blood pressure, resting heart rate and sleep.
The study found no causal relationship between wind-turbine noise and any health effects identified through this testing, but Health Canada says the study alone cannot provide definitive answers and more research may be needed.
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