Polish researchers say that short -term exposure to the noise of wind turbines does not seem to be a threat to mental health.
- The “wind syndrome” is a theory that the noise of wind turbines is responsible for mental disorders.
- In a new study, none of the young volunteers said that the sound of wind turbines was more annoying or more stressful than traffic noise.
- In addition, no evidence of mental health problems has been identified during the tests.
The subject of debate, wind syndrome is a theory that the sound of wind turbines can cause mental illnesses or other health problems, such as cancer. Today, little convincing data likely to support the concerns expressed as to the possible effects of this noise on irritation levels, psychological well-being and cognitive functioning, have been published on this subject. However, scientists Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland) have looked into the issue in a study, the results of which were published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
“Here we offer a cognitive neuroscientific approach to explore in an experimental and multifactorial way the impact of the noise of wind turbines on various mental functions”, they wrote. As part of the work, the authors recruited 45 students from a local university. They deliberately chose young volunteers who have not been informed of the object of the study, as previous research has shown that they are more sensitive to noise than older people. During an intervention, the participants listened to the noise of traffic, the noise of a wind turbine and were exposed to silence while carrying devices measuring their crucial brain waves for complex cognitive tasks, sustained attention and reasoning. “We have also tested the subjective evaluation of stress induced by the sound of wind turbines and the embarrassment it causes.”
The sound of wind turbines would have no negative impact on cognition and mental health
None of the volunteers could identify the source of the noise of wind turbines. Most have described it as a kind of white noise. According to the results, short-term exposure to the noise of a wind turbine at a level of acoustic pressure corresponding to the actual situation (that is to say 65 dB SPL) did not negatively affect any of the cognitive functions examined. Researchers also did not detect a measurable difference in brain waves when volunteers listened to both types of sounds. In addition, the sound of wind turbines was not perceived as more stressful or annoying than the noise of road traffic. After having used various psychological scales, the team noted that even the trends in rumination, to reducing the capacity for reflection and tolerance to ambiguity did not lead to unsuitable perceptions of the noise of wind turbines and, therefore, to a state likely to indirectly influence mental health.
“Wind syndrome”: results that cannot “be generalized”
“Although these results cannot be generalized, they support the idea that the link between exposure to the noise of wind turbines and human cognitive functioning is not a cause and effect relationship. We must discuss the mediating role of socially built beliefs on wind farms in this interrelation”, concluded scientists.
