What are the health effects of wind farms?

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy with low greenhouse gas emissions. Despite its environmental benefits, Quebec must be vigilant in deploying wind farms, as this is not without risk to the health of its citizens.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, wind projects will allow Quebec to have significant amounts of electricity, in a relatively short time and at a competitive cost.

The CAQ government has also revived the Apuiat wind farm project on the north coast. In February, Prime Minister François Legault confirmed that wind energy will become “hyper-competitive,” even cheaper than hydropower.

However, a recent update from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INPSQ) on the knowledge of wind energy and its health impacts warns about how projects should be implemented in the region.

The results of the analysis do not make it possible to identify a safe distance between wind turbines and homes, says Emmanuelle Bouchard-Bastien, specialist scientific advisor at the INSPQ and co-author of the report. “It is a magic number that many project initiators long for,” she says. Rather, we are talking about a distance that would be socially acceptable and that should be achieved together with the various stakeholders in the environment. »

In other words, there are people living very close to a wind turbine who will be disturbed, while an immediate neighbor will not be disturbed at all. “That means that it is not just an idea of ​​proximity that explains the disruption, there are many other social, psychological factors, factors related to the environment,” explains M.^me Bouchard-Bastien.

The most important effect of wind turbines on health is the damage to quality of life. “When we talk about disruption or nuisance – we use both terms – it is really associated with repeated disruptions to an activity that trigger a negative response in an individual at an emotional or cognitive level. It can also lead to changes in lifestyle habits, causing a bit of disruption to daily life,” describes M.^me Bouchard-Bastien.

The level of exposure to noise from wind turbines has been identified as a “major disturbance factor”. The report states that the value recommended by the World Health Organization is 45 A-weighted decibels (dBA) L._{Pine tree}. “We realize that with this limit, 10% of the population would actually be seriously disturbed,” says M.^me Bouchard-Bastien.

Regarding the association between exposure to wind turbine noise and sleep disorders, cardiovascular effects or adverse pregnancy outcomes, the evidence is quite limited.

Anxiety, depression and feelings of injustice

According to the report, there are several psychological consequences that manifest themselves once the project is announced.

“In the literature we have identified several cases in which manifestations of stress, anxiety, depression, sadness, feelings of injustice, loss of confidence or helplessness occurred,” says M.^me Bouchard-Bastien. In general, these demonstrations will be accompanied by shortcomings in the implementation of wind farms or the risk management process, which will give rise to feelings of injustice or loss of confidence in the authorities. »

Social acceptability is an important element in mitigating these consequences.

There are many concerns among citizens that may persist during the operational phase, including with regard to health, freight traffic and the risk of accidents, the collapse of wind turbines, landslides and the possible decrease in the market value of a home, reports M^me Bouchard-Bastien.

The transformation of the landscape and the potential loss of a way of life can also cause sadness and fear.

Risks for drinking water

The report emphasizes that the vulnerability of groundwater aquifers is “an important element that must be taken into account from the outset to characterize the risks to underground drinking water sources.”

Researchers looked at the risks of water pollution because it was a public concern. “The public health departments wanted to explore this topic, which was not done in the exercise carried out about ten years ago,” M specifies.^me Bouchard-Bastien.

The report concludes that there are risks of chemical contamination of groundwater, but that there is still very little data on this subject and more knowledge is needed.

“And if there is a new wind energy project, let’s make sure we properly characterize the groundwater and monitor activities throughout to ensure no accidental pollution occurs,” M recommends.^me Bouchard-Bastien.

“This is not one of the major health risks associated with the installation of a wind turbine, but we would like to emphasize the need for prevention, precaution and monitoring activities throughout the projects, which is already the case,” the scientific advisor was quoted as saying. please reassure.

On the other hand, no risk has been reported for moving shadows in people who might suffer from photosensitive epilepsy.

When it comes to flashing lights – those luminous beacons found at the top of wind turbines to guide air travel – there are few studies addressing these issues. However, in certain studies we report the manifestation of stress associated with flashing lights and also in relation to the change in the living environment, especially when a natural environment takes on a more urban character.

The level of exposure to electromagnetic fields produced by wind turbines is well below the limits recommended by health organizations. “It has no harmful effects on health,” says M.^me Bouchard-Bastien. I would like to point out that it was actually our mandate to look at the wind turbine and not the high-voltage distribution line because it emits more electromagnetic fields. »

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