| 1. |
- Ageborg Morsing, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Wind Turbine Noise and Sleep: Pilot Studies on the Influence of Noise Characteristics
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 15:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The number of onshore wind turbines in Europe has greatly increased over recent years, a trend which can be expected to continue. However, the effects of wind turbine noise on long-term health outcomes for residents living near wind farms is largely unknown, although sleep disturbance may be a cause for particular concern. Presented here are two pilot studies with the aim of examining the acoustical properties of wind turbine noise that might be of special relevance regarding effects on sleep. In both pilots, six participants spent five consecutive nights in a sound environment laboratory. During three of the nights, participants were exposed to wind turbine noise with variations in sound pressure level, amplitude modulation strength and frequency, spectral content, turbine rotational frequency and beating behaviour. The impact of noise on sleep was measured using polysomnography and questionnaires. During nights with wind turbine noise there was more frequent awakening, less deep sleep, less continuous N2 sleep and increased subjective disturbance compared to control nights. The findings indicated that amplitude modulation strength, spectral frequency and the presence of strong beats might be of particular importance for adverse sleep effects. The findings will be used in the development of experimental exposures for use in future, larger studies.
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| 2. |
- Smith, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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A laboratory study on the effects of wind turbine noise on sleep: Results of the polysomnographic WiTNES study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sleep. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1550-9109 .- 0161-8105. ; 43:9, s. 1-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Study Objectives: Assess the physiologic and self-reported effects of wind turbine noise (WTN) on sleep. Methods: Laboratory sleep study (n = 50 participants: n = 24 living close to wind turbines and n = 26 as a reference group) using polysomnography, electrocardiography, salivary cortisol, and questionnaire endpoints. Three consecutive nights (23:00-07:00): one habituation followed by a randomized quiet Control and an intervention night with synthesized 32 dB LAEq WTN. Noise in WTN nights simulated closed and ajar windows and low and high amplitude modulation depth. Results: There was a longer rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency (+16.8 min) and lower amount of REM sleep (-11.1 min, -2.2%) in WTN nights. Other measures of objective sleep did not differ significantly between nights, including key indicators of sleep disturbance (sleep efficiency: Control 86.6%, WTN 84.2%; wakefulness after sleep onset: Control 45.2 min, WTN 52.3 min; awakenings: Control n = 11.4, WTN n = 11.5) or the cortisol awakening response. Self-reported sleep was consistently rated as worse following WTN nights, and individuals living close to wind turbines had worse self-reported sleep in both the Control and WTN nights than the reference group. Conclusions: Amplitude-modulated continuous WTN may impact on self-assessed and some aspects of physiologic sleep. Future studies are needed to generalize these findings outside of the laboratory and should include more exposure nights and further examine possible habituation or sensitization.
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| 3. |
- Smith, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of ground-borne noise from railway tunnels on sleep: A polysomnographic study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Building and Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-1323. ; 149, s. 288-296
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Residents of dwellings near railway tunnels may be exposed to noise, which propagates through the tunnel and ground and into the home. Noise radiated into bedrooms may disrupt sleep, which can have negative consequences for physical and mental wellbeing. In this paper, we present a laboratory investigation of the impact of ground-borne railway noise on physiologic and self-reported sleep. Over five consecutive nights, including habituation and control nights, 23 healthy participants were exposed to noise of two different frequency spectra at maximum levels of 35,40 and 45 dB. Sleep was measured using polysomnography and questionnaires. Heart rate was measured using electrocardiography. Sleep was significantly disturbed, both in terms of physiologic and self-reported measures, during nights with 45 dB noise, although the number and size of effects was modest. No significant differences in overall sleep structure or subjective sleep disturbance and quality were found between control and 35 dB nights. Within 60 s following noise onset, the noise spectrum with higher amplitude frequencies above 100 Hz led to increases in heart rate at noise levels of 35 dB and above, and increased arousal probability at a noise level of 45 dB. The results generally support that the proposed Swedish guideline value of 35 dB maximum noise level indoors may be suitable for protecting against adverse sleep outcomes due to ground-borne railway noise.
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| 4. |
- Smith, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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The effects on sleep of ground borne noise from trains in tunnels
- 2018
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Ingår i: Euronoise 2018. May 27-31, Hersonissos, Crete.. - 2226-5147.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In residential areas around railway tunnels, there is no direct airborne noise from the railways, but residents may be exposed to ground borne noise. Nocturnal airborne railway noise has been shown to be potentially disruptive to sleep, but there is only limited previous research on the effects of ground borne railway noise. Here we present laboratory studies investigating how ground borne railway noise at levels occurring in the field impacts on sleep. Data on sound pressure level, duration and frequency content of ground borne noise from railways were collected from the scientific literature, from measurement reports and by renewed measurements at a few locations in Stockholm, Sweden. Using these data as input, the exposures for the sleep studies were synthesised to represent the variation seen in the gathered data. An initial pilot study (n=5) investigated possible differential effects of frequency content and duration (passenger vs. freight trains). Data from the pilot study implicated very low frequency train passages as potentially disruptive for sleep. The following main study (n=23) therefore further examined frequency content, and additionally examined the effect of noise level. Across both studies, young and healthy individuals spent five nights in a laboratory furnished to resemble an apartment. The first night was for adaptation to the study setting. The following four nights included a single quiet night to obtain baseline sleep, and three exposure nights involving synthesised ground borne noise from passenger and freight trains. Effects on sleep physiology and self-reported sleep outcomes were obtained using polysomnography and questionnaires respectively, although physiologic outcomes from the pilot only are herein reported.
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| 5. |
- Smith, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Wind Turbine Noise Effects on Sleep: The WiTNES study
- 2017
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Ingår i: ICBEN 2017.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Onshore wind turbines are becoming increasingly widespread globally, with the associated net effect that a greater number of people will be exposed to wind turbine noise (WTN). Sleep disturbance by WTN has been suggested to be of particular importance with regards to a potential impact on human health. Within the Wind Turbine Noise Effects on Sleep (WiTNES) project, we have experimentally investigated the physiological effects of night time WTN on sleep using polysomnography and self-reporting protocols. Fifty participants spent three nights in the sound exposure laboratory. To examine whether habituation or sensitisation occurs among populations with long-term WTN exposure, approximately half of the participants lived within 1km of at least one turbine. The remaining participants were not exposed to WTN at home. The first night served for habituation and one WTN-free night served to measure baseline sleep. Wind turbine noise (LAEq,indoor,night=31.9 dB) was introduced in one night. This exposure night included variations in filtering, corresponding to a window being fully closed or slightly open, and variations in amplitude modulation.
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