'Cheap energy wind turbines can cause health problems' - 03/08/2009
Energy suppliers may become more reluctant to invest in wind farms as new research suggests turbines can cause a range of health problems, reports the Independent.
Dr Nina Pierpont, a paediatrician in New York, has been investigating the technology for five years and claims that low-level noise and vibrations from turbine blades can cause what she calls wind turbine syndrome, with symptoms including nausea, headaches and even heart problems.
The doctor examined people living close to wind farms in countries around the world and has subsequently recommended that people live no closer than 2,000 metres to turbines.
Dr Pierpont told the paper: "There is no doubt that my clinical research shows that the infrasonic to ultrasonic noise and vibrations emitted by wind turbines cause the symptoms which I am calling wind turbine syndrome."
She added that she expected opposition from supporters of the wind turbine industry and suggested similarities with ongoing fights against tobacco firms.
People who campaign against wind farms tend to focus on the visual impact the structures have on the local landscape.
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