A team of scientists from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States published the results of their work in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”. Their conclusion is clear: despite public concerns, turbines used to generate wind energy do not cause any measurable harm to the health of the local population. Researchers took up this topic because previous reports suggested that these installations were harmful.
Some previous publications and media reports linked the presence of turbines with an increased risk of various ailments. This group reported sleep problems and, in extreme reports, even an increased number of suicides. The authors of the current analysis decided to verify whether these assumptions are confirmed by the data.
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Wind turbines and the health of residents
To answer these questions, the team combined wind turbine location maps with information from surveys conducted in over 120,000 locations. households in 2011-2013. The team also included consumer purchase records in the analysis, which allowed them to track residents' behavior. A key element was the comparison of the health condition of the same people in the period before the turbines were launched and after their installation.
Scientists have examined a wide range of potential ailments. They looked for a relationship between the proximity of windmills and the occurrence of headaches, depression and anxiety. They also checked whether the sales of painkillers and sleeping aids were increasing in these farms.
No impact of windmills on health
The authors point out that their work does not allow to completely eliminate minor inconveniences, such as annoying noise coming from devices. However, the analysis itself provided strong grounds for the claim that at standard distances from windmills, the proximity of these installations does not translate into either moderate or serious deterioration of health. The results remained consistent across the different metrics examined.
— While concerns about wind turbines often attract attention, the evidence does not indicate significant health effects at typical exposure levels, especially when compared to the clear and serious harm caused by pollutants from burning fossil fuels – says the co-author of the study, prof. Osea Giuntella of the University of Pittsburgh.
