A Review of the Possible Perceptual and Physiological Effects of Wind Turbine Noise.
Simon Carlile, John L Davy, David Hillman and 1 others
PMID 30084316WHAT IT FOUND
Wind turbine low-frequency noise may reach the inner ear's outer hair cells at levels far below those needed for conscious hearing.
However, laboratory studies have not proven that this causes physical symptoms or health issues in people living near turbines.
Key findings
01Standard sound measurements often miss the low-frequency and infrasound energy emitted by wind turbines because common weighting filters remove these frequencies.
02The healthy human ear significantly attenuates low-frequency input to the inner hair cells, but outer hair cells may still be stimulated at levels well below the threshold for conscious perception.
03Laboratory studies exposing people to wind turbine noise have not demonstrated systematic or significant physiological effects, though expectancy and concern about health effects influence reported symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so the selection of studies may be subject to author bias. The review notes that existing laboratory studies on this topic are often small, underpowered, and have varied methodologies, making definitive conclusions about physiological effects difficult. The authors state that there is a lack of high-quality data on actual human exposure levels inside dwellings, meaning many physiological theories remain untested against real-world conditions.
Declared interests
The paper is a journal article with no specific funding declaration or conflict of interest statement provided in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that wind turbine noise causes physical illness. The review explicitly states that laboratory studies have not demonstrated significant physiological effects, and that reported symptoms are often linked to expectation and concern rather than the sound itself.