Low Frequency Noise-Induced Pathology: Contributions provided by the Portuguese Wind Turbine Case
Regular paper
Lusofona University
Wednesday 3 june, 2015, 17:00 - 17:20
0.9 Athens (118)
Abstract:
Over the past three decades, a biomedical research team based in Portugal has
been studying the effects of
low frequency noise (LFN) exposure. Initially prompted by the signs and
symptoms observed among a
population of aeronautical technicians, by the mid-1990’s, study populations
included commercial airline
pilots and flight attendants. In 2001, the team began receiving complaints
from families regarding LFN in
their homes, and subsequently, the inquiry was widened to include residential
exposures.
In general, LFN levels in residential exposures are lower than those observed
in occupational environments.
On the other hand, occupational environments provide a recovery time at the
end of the work-shift, while
residential exposures remain present , even during the all-important sleep
time.
The Portuguese wind turbine (WT) case began in 2007, a follow-up was
accomplished in 2010, and the
Portuguese Supreme Court of Justice ruled, in 2013, that all WT’s associated
with this legal case had to be
removed from the vicinity of this residential property. During that time,
clinical evaluation of the family was
performed with pertinent and objective medical tests. Later, the animals
living in this residence were
clinically evaluated, including histological analyses.
The data collected within the scope of this Portuguese WT case corroborates
much of the pre-existing
results regarding the biological response to LFN exposure.