Noise Wind Turbine Effect on Human Health

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Noise Wind Turbine Effect on Human Health
Wind turbine is a mechanism used to convert wind energy into a more useful energy form for instance electricity, wind pumps, wind mills.
The noise generated has been associated with health problems especially in human, animals and the environment, but the effects on the later seems to be minor when compared to other traditional energy sources. This is attributed to the fact that it is a cleaner- a green source of energy. One notable effect of the noise to environment is the vibration it causes to the earths surface, this in turn affects underground organisms (American Wind Energy Association, 2010). The infrasound also reduces efficiency of various structures, hence posing a threat to human life.
Noise from wind turbines seems to have minor to adverse effect human being. According to an article by Fehrenbacher, (2009) doctors have associated noise from wind turbines with a syndrome termed Wind Turbine Syndrome. This is a human illness linked to disrupted sleep, annoyance/frustrations, panic attacks, noise irritation, impaired hearing that may lead to deafness, headache, heart diseases, disruption of human inner ear, nightmares. In addition noise is attributed to some gastric complications and increases blood pressure. To animals, the noise especially to birds affect the way they communicate through sound to locate their prey, mates are not able to do that. They thus need to use more energy to call longer and louder. The noise has also led to reduced number of certain animal species especially those that reproduce and burry their eggs on the ground. According to Natinal Health and Medical Research Council. (2010) vibrations hinder brooding and hatching, and probably induces miscarriages, the noise also causes migration of animals lowering species diversity of a given habitat. Additionally, studies have shown that noise pollution reduces the time spent by an animal to feed, this translates to reduced production.
Reference
American Wind Energy Association, (2010). Wind Energy and the Enviro...