| 1. |
- Janssen, Sabine A., et al.
(author)
-
Exposure-response relationships for annoyance by wind turbine noise : a comparison with other stationary sources
- 2009
-
In: 8th European Conference on Noise Control 2009 (EURONOISE 2009). - St. Albans Hertfordshire, UK : Institute of Acoustics. - 9781615676804 ; , s. 1472-1478
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are indications that, given a certain level of noise exposure, the expected annoyance by wind turbine noise is higher than that by noise from other sources such as industrial noise or transportation noise. The aim of the present study was to establish the exposure-response relationship between wind turbine noise exposure and the expected percentage annoyed residents on the basis of available data. Data from two surveys in Sweden (N=341, N=754) and one survey in the Netherlands (N=725) were combined to achieve relationships between Lden and annoyance indoors as well as annoyance outdoors at the dwelling. In addition, the influence of several individual and situational factors was assessed. In particular, annoyance was lower in residents who received economical benefit from wind turbines, and higher in residents for whom the wind turbine was visible from the dwelling. Age and noise sensitivity had similar effects on annoyance to those found in research on annoyance by other sources. The exposure-response relationship for wind turbine noise is compared to previously established relationships for industrial noise.
|
|
| 2. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
Annoyance caused by community noise – interaction of sounds from road traffic and wind turbines
- 2008
-
In: SAE Technical Papers. - Warrendale, PA : SAE Inc.. - 0148-7191.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sound from an additional source, for example rail road in addition to road traffic, modifies community noise response. However, interactions of response to low vs. high level sources are not known. The impact of wind turbine sound on annoyance with road traffic noise, and vice versa, was therefore explored. Immission levels of both sounds were assessed for respondents in a survey measuring response to environmental exposures (n = 725). Dose-response relationships for both road traffic and wind turbines were found. Neither sound masked the other, physically or cognitively. However, being annoyed by noise from one of the sources increased the risk for annoyance with the additional noise.
|
|
| 3. |
- Pedersen, Eja
(author)
-
Effects of wind turbine noise on humans
- 2009
-
In: Proceedings of the Third International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise. ; , s. 11-
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Possible adverse health effects due to exposure of wind turbine noise have been discussed since the first modern electrical generating wind turbines were erected in the 1970’s. Despite this, only a few large epidemiological studies have been carried out. This paper is based on data from two Swedish studies and one Dutch study in which self-reported health and well-being were related to calculated A-weighted sound pressure levels outside the dwelling of each respondent. The consistencies in results from these studies make it possible to summarize the impact of wind turbine noise on people living in the vicinity of the turbines. The main adverse effect was annoyance due to the sound; the prevalence of noise annoyance increased with increasing sound pressure levels. Disturbance of sleep was furthermore related to wind turbine noise; the proportion of residents reporting sleep disturbance due to noise increased significantly at sound levels close to those recommended as highest acceptable levels at new installations. No other clear associations between sound levels and self reported health symptoms have hitherto been found. However, noise annoyance was correlated with several measurements of stress and lowered well-being. The study design does not allow causal conclusions, but the association indicates a possible hindrance of psycho-physiological restitution. Such a hindrance could in the long term lead to adverse health effects not detected hear.
|
|
| 4. |
- Pedersen, Eja
(author)
-
Human response to wind turbine noise : perception, annoyance and moderating factors
- 2007
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Aims: The aims of this thesis were to describe and gain an understanding of how people who live in the vicinity of wind turbines are affected by wind turbine noise, and how individual, situational and visual factors, as well as sound properties, moderate the response.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a flat, mainly rural area in Sweden, with the objective to estimate the prevalence of noise annoyance and to examine the dose-response relationship between A-weighted sound pressure levels (SPLs) and perception of and annoyance with wind turbine noise. Subjective responses were obtained through a questionnaire (n = 513; response rate: 68%) and outdoor, A-weighted SPLs were calculated for each respondent. To gain a deeper understanding of the observed noise annoyance, 15 people living in an area were interviewed using open-ended questions. The interviews were analysed using the comparative method of Grounded Theory (GT). An additional cross-sectional study, mainly exploring the influence of individual and situational factors, was carried out in seven areas in Sweden that differed with regard to terrain (flat or complex) and degree of urbanization (n = 765; response rate: 58%). To further explore the impact of visual factors, data from the two cross-sectional studies were tested with structural equation modelling. A proposed model of the influence of visual attitude on noise annoyance, also comprising the influence of noise level and general attitude, was tested among respondents who could see wind turbines versus respondents who could not see wind turbines from their dwelling, and respondents living in flat versus complex terrain.Results: Dose-response relationships were found both for perception of noise and for noise annoyance in relation to A-weighted SPLs. The risk of annoyance was enhanced among respondents who could see at least one turbine from their dwelling and among those living in a rural in comparison with a suburban area. Noise from wind turbines was appraised as an intrusion of privacy among people who expected quiet and peace in their living environment. Negative experiences that led to feelings of inferiority added to the distress. Sound characteristics describing the amplitude modulated aerodynamic sound were appraised as the most annoying (swishing, whistling and pulsating/throbbing). Wind turbines were judged as environmentally friendly, efficient and necessary, but also as ugly and unnatural. Being negative towards the visual impact of the wind turbines on the landscape scenery, rather than towards wind turbines as such, was strongly associated with annoyance. Self-reported health impairment was not correlated to SPL, while decreased well-being was associated with noise annoyance. Indications of possible hindrance to psycho-physiological restoration were observed.Conclusions: Wind turbine noise is easily perceived and is annoying even at low A-weighted SPLs. This could be due to perceived incongruence between the characteristics of wind turbine noise and the background sound. Wind turbines are furthermore prominent objects whose rotational movement attracts the eye. Multimodal sensory effects or negative aesthetic response could enhance the risk of noise annoyance. Adverse reactions could possibly lead to stress-related symptoms due to prolonged physiological arousal and hindrance to psychophysiological restoration. The observed differences in prevalence of noise annoyance between living environments make it necessary to assess separate dose-response relationships for different types of landscapes.
|
|
| 5. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
Living in the Vicinity of Wind Turbines - A Grounded Theory Study
- 2007
-
In: Qualitative Research in Psychology. - Philadelphia, PA : Routledge. - 1478-0887 .- 1478-0895. ; 4:1-2, s. 49-63
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Little is known of wind turbines' impact on people living in their vicinity. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how people perceive and are affected by wind turbines in their living environment. In-depth interviews with 15 informants, strategically chosen to form a heterogeneous group, were analyzed using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. The informants were to different extents affected by the swishing noise, flickering light, and constant movement of the turbines' rotor blades. Some informants perceived the exposures as outside their territory while others perceived them as intrusion into privacy; a divergence partly determined by the informants' personal values about the living environment. The feeling of intrusion was associated with feeling a lack of control, subjected to injustice, a lack of influence, and not being believed. Informants used various coping strategies, such as rebuilding their houses or complaining, but mainly tried to ignore exposures from the wind turbines. The findings can help us to better understand the severe reactions wind turbines sometimes evoke and contribute to the knowledge base used when planning for new wind farms.
|
|
| 6. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
Människors upplevelse av ljud från vindkraftverk
- 2009
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- I samband med uppförandet av vindkraftverk görs en miljökonsekvensbeskrivning som också innefattar en bedömning av hur människor som bor i området kommer att påverkas av vindkraftverken. En påverkansfaktor är ljud. För att korrekt beskriva hur ljudet kan komma att uppfattas och för att säkerställa att inte verken placeras så att ljudet påverkar de kringboende negativt, är det viktigt att ta fram vetenskapligt baserad kunskap. I den här rapporten presenteras resultaten från flera studier. Samanalyser av resultaten från två fältstudier hade som syfte att visa sambanden mellan ljudnivån från vindkraftverk vid bostaden och upplevelsen av ljudet, och att beskriva faktorer som påverkade detta samband. En dagboksstudie, där deltagarna bl.a. fick fylla i hur ofta de var hemma och i så fall om de var ute, syftade till att beskriva hur ofta vindkraftsljudet hördes och vid vilka meteorologiska situationer. För att undersöka hur väl den ljudutbredningsmodell som används idag stämmer med fältmätningar och om den meteorologiska variationen har så stor betydelse för ljudutbredningen att de bör tas med vid beräkningen av ljudnivåerna, gjordes långtidsmätningar av ljudet där resultatet jämfördes med olika modeller för beräkningar.Den sammanvägda analysen av de två störningsstudierna bekräftar och förstärker tidigare rapporterade data. Såväl andelen som märkte vindkraftljud och andelen som stördes av ljudet ökade med ökande ljudnivåer. Sannolikheten att störas av ljud var större om verken var synliga från bostaden och om man bodde i jordbrukslandskap, medan terrängen inte hade någon inverkan. Bland andra studerade hälsorelaterade variabler fanns endast ett samband mellan att störas i sömnen och ljudnivå.I dagboksstudien noterade deltagare oftare att de hörde ljud från vindkraftverk när den momentana effekten, d.v.s. elproduktionen, ökade. Även om det var stora individuella variationer i hur mycket tid människor tillbringade utomhus vid sin bostad kunde ett statistiskt säkerställt samband mellan hörbarhet och beräknad ljudnivå påvisas; ju högre beräknad ljudnivå, ju oftare hördes verket vid utomhusvistelse. Dagboksstudien gav även viss kunskap om samband mellan hörbarhet och vindhastighet. Resultaten indikerar att vindkraftsljud hörs även vid relativt höga vindhastigheter då ljudet från vindkraftverket förväntas vara maskerat.Långtidsmätningar av vindkraftverksljud 550 meter från ett modernt verk visade att de beräknade ljudnivåerna stämde väl med de uppmätta. Ljudnivåer beräknade med parabolisk ekvationsmodell, som tar hänsyn till variationer hos meterologiska variabler, gav inte bättre överensstämmelse jämfört med den modell som oftast används vid tillståndsprövning [Naturvårdsverket 2001]. Meterologiska variationer har sannolikt bara betydelse för ljudutbredelsen på längre avstånd. Meteorologiska förhållanden kan dock ha betydelse vid skattningen av källjudnivån, som är den största osäkerheten vid beräkningen. Studierna visar att ljudnivån varierar vid en och samma vindhastighet, och indikerar att vindkraftljud hörs även när det blåser så mycket så att vindkraftsljudet borde maskeras av andra ljud åstadkomna av vinden. Det innebär att även om den ljudutbredningsmodell som ändvänds idag fungerar väl, så bör presentationen i miljökonsekvensbeskrivningen av det ljud som de närboende kan komma att höra utvidgas. Fler studier kring hörbarheten vid höga vindhastigheter behövs också eftersom dagboksstudien hade relativt få deltagare. Studierna pekar på att risken för sömnstörningar kan vara angeläget att undersökas vidare.
|
|
| 7. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
Response to noise from modern wind farms in The Netherlands
- 2009
-
In: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. - New York : Acoustical Society of America (ASA). - 0001-4966 .- 1520-8524. ; 126:2, s. 634-643
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increasing number and size of wind farms call for more data on human response to wind turbine noise, so that a generalized dose-response relationship can be modeled and possible adverse health effects avoided. This paper reports the results of a 2007 field study in The Netherlands with 725 respondents. A dose-response relationship between calculated A-weighted sound pressure levels and reported perception and annoyance was found. Wind turbine noise was more annoying than transportation noise or industrial noise at comparable levels, possibly due to specific sound properties such as a "swishing" quality, temporal variability, and lack of nighttime abatement. High turbine visibility enhances negative response, and having wind turbines visible from the dwelling significantly increased the risk of annoyance. Annoyance was strongly correlated with a negative attitude toward the visual impact of wind turbines on the landscape. The study further demonstrates that people who benefit economically from wind turbines have a significantly decreased risk of annoyance, despite exposure to similar sound levels. Response to wind turbine noise was similar to that found in Sweden so the dose-response relationship should be generalizable.
|
|
| 8. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
Response to wind turbine noise in the Netherlands
- 2008
-
In: Proceedings of the 7th European conference on noise control, EURONOISE. ; , s. 4049-4054
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A cross-sectional study with the objective to explore the impact of wind turbine noise on people living in the vicinity of wind farms was carried out in the Netherlands in 2007. A postal questionnaire assessing response to environmental exposures in the living area, including wind turbine noise, was answered by 725 respondents (response rate: 37%). Immission levels of wind turbine noise outside the dwelling of each respondent were calculated in accordance with ISO-9613. The risk for being annoyed by wind turbine noise outdoors increased with increasing sound levels (rs = 0.501, n = 708, p<0.001). The risk for annoyance was decreased for respondents who could not see wind turbines from their dwelling and for respondents who benefited economically from the turbines. No statistically significant correlations between immission levels of wind turbine noise and health or well-being were found. However, noise annoyance due to wind turbine noise was associated with stress symptoms, psychological distress and lowered sleep quality.
|
|
| 9. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
The impact of visual factors on noise annoyance among people living in the vicinity of wind turbines
- 2008
-
In: Journal of Environmental Psychology. - London : Academic Press. - 0272-4944 .- 1522-9610. ; 28:4, s. 379-389
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wind turbines are highly visible objects and the response to wind turbine noise is possibly influenced by visual factors. In this study, visibility of the noise source, visual attitude and vertical visual angle (VVA) in different landscapes were explored. Data from two cross-sectional field studies carried out among people living near wind turbines (n=1095) were used for structural equation modelling. A proposed model of the influence of visual attitude on noise annoyance, also comprising the influence of noise level and general attitude, was tested among respondents who could see vs. respondents who could not see wind turbines from their homes, living in flat vs. hilly/rocky terrain, and living in built-up vs. rural areas. Visual attitude towards the noise source was associated with noise annoyance to different degrees in different situations. A negative visual attitude, more than multi-modal effects between auditory and visual stimulation, enhanced the risk for noise annoyance and possibly also prevented psychophysiological restoration possibilities. Aesthetic evaluations of the noise source should be taken into account when exploring response to environmental noise.
|
|
| 10. |
- Pedersen, Eja, et al.
(author)
-
Wind turbine noise, annoyance and self-reported health and well-being in different living environments
- 2007
-
In: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - London : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 64:7, s. 480-486
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise among people living near the turbines, and to study relations between noise and perception/annoyance, with focus on differences between living environments.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in seven areas in Sweden across dissimilar terrain and different degrees of urbanisation. A postal questionnaire regarding living conditions including response to wind turbine noise was completed by 754 subjects. Outdoor A-weighted sound pressure levels (SPLs) were calculated for each respondent. Perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise in relation to SPLs was analysed with regard to dissimilarities between the areas.RESULTS: The odds of perceiving wind turbine noise increased with increasing SPL (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.25 to 1.40). The odds of being annoyed by wind turbine noise also increased with increasing SPLs (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25). Perception and annoyance were associated with terrain and urbanisation: (1) a rural area increased the risk of perception and annoyance in comparison with a suburban area; and (2) in a rural setting, complex ground (hilly or rocky terrain) increased the risk compared with flat ground. Annoyance was associated with both objective and subjective factors of wind turbine visibility, and was further associated with lowered sleep quality and negative emotions.CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to take the unique environment into account when planning a new wind farm so that adverse health effects are avoided. The influence of area-related factors should also be considered in future community noise research.
|
|
