Analysis of the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region 2018 and wind power noise effects on man and the environment

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  1. Ove -Skrivelse till EU-politiska grupperingar engelsk version-2
  2. Ove-Svar-All-EU-political-groups-engelsk-version.pdf 
  3. Appendix EU-grupperingar Engelsk version 2 Analys WHO EnviOve- WHO environmental Guidelines for Noise in Europe 2018 and windpower noise effects [10026]
  4. Ove-SUICIDES turbine_zou201710
  5. Ove-Persinger Infrasound – human health -and adaptation art_10.1007_s11069-013-0827-3
  1. Ove-infrasonic noise-induced neuronal impairment Kina
  2. Ove-WHO Ericksson Pershagen 2018 review-noise-bio-effects-eng (002)

But the indirect climate effects of wind power should also be reported in the life cycle analysis.

Wind turbines generate heavy ground vibrations and pulsating air waves that affect nature and people at long distances.

The operating phase of the wind turbines causes both more emissions of climate gases (carbon dioxide and methane) and prevents the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The wind turbines’ own resonance frequencies causes ground vibrations at long distances. Partially horizontal, but also because downward waves are repelled against geological layers and return to the ground surface further away.

The wind turbines emit powerful pulsed air waves (infrasound <20 Hz) with very long propagation. They burden the ground in several ways.

  1. Direct influence from large height, up to 250 m.
  2. Part of the sound penetrates the ground surface to a considerable depth and is transformed into ground vibration during the damping.
  3. Upward waves are repelled against atmospheric layers of 2-8 km and reach the ground surface much further away. (South Korean study)

This causes adverse effects on climate, ecosystems, biodiversity, public health and forestry. Example:

  • Wetlands contain 20% of the biologically stored carbon. Ground vibrations compress the peat layers and cause leakage of contaminated groundwater. When oxygen oxidizes the peat, the climate gases emit carbon dioxide and methane (Scotland).
  • Field vibrations block the ecosystem services.
  1. Woodland may contain 30% of the biologically bound carbon. Soil vibrations in woodland affect the important microorganisms of the humus layer. The widespread mycelial network of the fungi lives in symbiosis with plants and trees through their roots. They get sugars from the trees in exchange for nutrients and water.

They are responsible for the degradation of dead parts of plants and the return of nutrients.

They are responsible for the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air and conversion to inorganic carbonates. Far down in the ground.

Some organisms can even break down methane gases that form in the soil. (Positive climate effect).

In order for this to work, the organisms form conglomerates that make the soil porous. It is well known that this function is inhibited if the soil is hardened by machines etc. (SLU).

Soil vibrations compress the humus layer and block these functions, causing increased oxidation of the terrestrial carbon, reduced carbon uptake and decreased water supply (dehydration).

  1. The low frequency sound of wind turbines disturbs the vibrational communication systems of the smaller insects within a radius of a few meters (20-40 Hz. American research). This interferes with the degradation process and the recirculation of nutrients.
  2. Ground vibrations and shakes affect the trees so that they strengthen the root systems at the expense of growth in stems, branches and leaves. Reduced blade area means reduced carbon uptake and increased climate threat.
  • Wind turbines kill the insects’ natural predators, bats and swallows. This causes increased insect damage. Infected conifers emit more terpentenes which are converted into toxic ozone, which penetrates into the openings of the barrels and leaves and degrades the growth and absorption of the trees by the trees.

This negative process (the Ozolyt process) is also enhanced by the invasion of invasive insect species and that climate change benefits the insects that can occur with double swarms per year. The Ozolyt process is well described by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in a report on climate change, and is considered to increase until 2050.

  • Chinese study based on satellite monitoring, shows that the vegetation index is reduced about 15% up to 9 km.
  • The wind turbines generate strong turbulence behind the works, which can alternatively cause dehydration, frost damage, breakage due to ice weight and storm damage. Lower production and reduced carbon uptake.
  • Area losses. Felling of forest for roads and foundations (5-10 ha / work) reduces forest production and absorption of carbon dioxide, segmentation of forests and mountains.
  • Incorrectly reported recovery costs. Applicable regulations allow the foundation and cables to be left in the ground when restoring land at abandoned wind turbines. This is a specific exception and not an EU Recovery Directive. There is no correct recycling process for the wings and tower housing epoxy materials. This probably means future emissions. The buried foundations and the hard surfaces (stone crusher and geoduk) become unsuitable for forest production for the future. The effects of this future area loss and its carbon uptake potential must accumulate and burden the life cycle calculation.
  • Bioenergy is counterproductive. Should give roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide as the fossil-based emissions it should replace.

Even more serious are scientific reports that show that infrasound (inaudible pulsed air waves, <20 Hz) have major effects on public health during long-term exposure.

  • Wind Turbine Syndrome: The Impact of Windfarms on Suicide. Eric Zou. October 2017.

American interconnection of public databases for causes of death and start-up of 828 wind farms

in 39 states in the United States, shows significant relationships between suicide rate and wind power establishment to 25 km. Relationships were also found for older individuals and for those who lived in the prevailing wind direction. Interaction with official large-scale health examination also indicated increased sleep disability next to new wind turbines.

  • C. Kasprzak, 2014. The Influence of Infrasound Noise from Wind Turbines on EEG Signal Patterns in Humans. EEG feeding at infrasound exposure. Subjects were exposed under 20 minutes for wind power noise, recorded from a wind turbine at a distance of 750 m activity was attenuated and the respiratory center in the posterior area adjacent to the brain stem was affected. Reduced breathing has been associated with ill health in other studies.
  • Branco, Alves-Pereira, Euronoise 2015. Clinical Protocol for Evaluating Pathology Induced by Low Frequency Noise Exposure. Image material showing pathological changes (thickened tissue) in the heart sac and lungs. In addition, general Portuguese long-term studies, which are documented, suggest documented evidence degenerative effects on the cerebrospinal fluid, headache changes such as at high age, malformations in trachea, abnormal hemostasis, coagulation and immunological parameters.
  • reports from the German specialist medical group Erzte für Immissionsschutz, which states that the limit for health effects at infrasound exposure is at 60 dBZ and that this level first below 10 km, from one single wind turbine.
  • Christian-Friedrich Vahl et al, 2018-03. Are There Harmful Effects Of The Silent Noise Of Infrasound Produced by Windparks? Infrared sounds impair the heart muscle capacity by 20%.

This meant that the health-harmful effects now do not only affect marginalized sparsely populated areas can also reach far into urban areas and cities. At worst, these noise mats can cover half of the country’s surface and affect one third of the population. The Government’s consent of the Markbygden project (Piteå, 1101 turbines) with the closest housing within 8 km, can then be regarded as an uncontrolled medical clinical experiment. Despite access to and obligation to continuously monitor research in this area.

  • The Finnish pilot study shows that symptoms caused by infrasound from wind turbines first decrease 15 km from the turbines. The base was about 50 families with symptoms in each family member. In total, about 200 people were involved in the study.

Source material can be reported as needed

2019-05-29

Ove Björklund

Föreningen God Livsmiljö Hylte

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