Infrasound and The Body

The rapidly spinning blades of huge wind turbines have an effect on their surroundings, and it goes beyond aesthetics. The blade tips of a wind turbine can spin at speeds­ of up to 80 meters per second, or about 180 miles per hour. In high winds, this rapid spinning can produce sound a­nd vibration -- in addition to disruptions in air pressure.  The extremely low air pressure surrounding a wind turbine could be the reason why bats die near them. A bat's lungs are very delicate, and it seems the low pressure might cause them to expand to the point of bursting blood vessels. Scuba divers can certainly attest to the effects of pressure on the human body. And the corporeal effects of sound -- essentially fluctuations in air pressure that vibrate the eardrum -- are well-documented. For instance, infrasound -- sounds at such low frequency that they can't be picked up by the human ear but can carry through the atmosphere for thousands of kilometers -- is believed to cause certain breathing and digestive problems

Infrasound is the primary issue for those concerned about wind-turbine syndrome. They also say that audible sound and vibrations contribute to the health problems reported by some people who live close to wind farms. Symptoms of wind-turbine syndrome might include:

• headaches
• sleep problems
• night terrors or learning disabilities in children
• ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• mood problems (irritability, anxiety)
• concentration and memory problems
• issues with equilibrium, dizziness and nausea

These symptoms have been observed and documented by a limited number of scientists studying small groups of people, and the scientific community.  The McPherson study done in Falmouth, MA (SEE PDF ON THE RIGHT) not only documents that infrasound can affect health; it also suggests infrasound is worse indoors, so people cannot retreat into their homes for relief. Equally important, is the fact that the authors Stephen E. Ambrose and Robert W. Rand were taking infrasound measurements within the house while experiencing the actual symptoms themselves. Thus they were able to accurately correlate the symptoms with scientific measurements and prove what many have conjectured: that sounds too low for us to hear can and will cause harm to the body.