Wind turbine noise is a health hazard, says UN

WIND turbine noise has been labelled a potential health hazard by the UN.

The power-generating blades were included in a comprehensive assessment of the harm noise causes to humans.

The report by the World Health Organisation found that noise cost a million healthy years of life across western Europe annually – with road traffic the biggest culprit.

Onshore wind turbines have been championed by politicians as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels.

Jeremy Corbyn told the Labour conference last month that he would hugely increase wind power in a ‘green jobs revolution’.

The Scottish Government has already set a target of 50 per cent of the country’s energy use to come from renewables by 2030.

Scotland has 3,335 turbines on 285 sites producing 6,747 megawatts of energy. But another 2,957 are planned for 192 sites, which could produce 11,009 megawatts.

Between 2014 and 2016, 6,409 acres of forestry in Scotland was felled to make way for wind farm developments – the equivalent of ten square miles – figures published this year showed.

Experts at WHO looked at five sources of noise: road traffic, railways, aviation, wind turbines and leisure, such as headphones and electronic tablets.

The report warned of health effects including lack of sleep, hearing loss, tinnitus and stress as well as worse heart health and blood pressure. Excess noise can also cause minor brain impairments in children. Various maximum recommended values were set for noises because different sounds have different effects.

The report advised that noise exposure for wind turbines should be no more than 45 decibels – quieter than a dishwasher. If higher, ‘suitable measures’ should be taken to reduce the impact.

The report said this was a conditional recommendation as the risks had not been extensively studied yet.

Drawing on research into wind turbine noise, WHO found that sleep disturbance was significantly higher among individuals exposed to blade noise levels of more than 40 decibels.

On roads, the report strongly recommended reducing noise levels to below 53 decibels by day and 45 decibels at night. The proposal was similar for rail traffic but the experts said aircraft noise should be lower than 45 decibels by day, and 40 decibels at night.

Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said: ‘Noise pollution in our towns and cities is increasing, blighting the lives of many European citizens.

‘More than a nuisance, excessive noise is a health risk – contributing to cardiovascular diseases, for example.

‘We need to act on the many sources of noise pollution – from motorised vehicles to loud nightclubs and concerts – to protect our health.

‘We urge European policymakers to make good use of this guidance for the benefit of all Europeans.’

Stephen Stansfeld, a professor at Queen Mary’s Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, chaired the guidelines development group at the WHO.

He said the guidelines ‘aim to support public health policy that will protect communities from the adverse effects of noise, as well as stimulate further research into the health effects of different types of noise’.

The report advised against more noise exposure than would come from visiting a nightclub or watching a loud movie once a week.