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Can YOU hear wind farms? Researchers prove human hearing is better than thought and 'turbine phenomenon' could alter the brain

German study found humans hear sounds from around 8 hertz
This is a whole octave lower than had previously been assumed
Wind farms produce something known as infrasound at 16HZ
Wind energy sector has previously claimed noise was inaudible

By Ellie Zolfagharifard For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:06 EST, 10 July 2015 | Updated: 17:50 EST, 13 July 2015

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Wind farms are not only a blight on the landscape, the noise of these giant structures can make you ill.

This is the controversial claim of some turbine opponents who infrasound from the rotor blades and wind flow is damaging our health.

To settle the debate, scientists have taken a closer look at the frequency range of human hearing – and revealed that humans can hear lower sounds than have been previously assumed.

Infrasound describes very low sounds, below what is thought to be the limit of hearing, which is around 16 hertz. But scientists say humans can hear far more than previously thought. This image shows how the auditory cortex lights up when someone hears infrasound

The project, which is part of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), was coordinated by the German National Metrology Institute (PTB).

Infrasound describes very low sounds, below what is thought to be the limit of hearing, which is around 16 hertz.

It's not just generated by the 'turbine phenomenon' of wind farms, but sometimes when a truck thunders past a house, or when a home owner installs a power generator in their basement.

The wind energy sector has previously claimed that infrasound generated by wind farms are inaudible and much too weak to be the source of health problems.

'Neither scaremongering nor refuting everything is of any help in this situation,' said PTB researcher Christian Koch.

'Instead, we must try to find out more about how sounds in the limit range of hearing are perceived.'

To do this, the team generated an infrasonic source which is able to create sounds that are completely free from harmonics.

The researchers didn't go as far as to say wind farms were damaging health. But their research did find that humans hear lower sounds from around 8 hertz on - a whole octave lower than had been assumed

Volunteers were asked about their hearing experience, and these statements were then compared by to their brain scans.

The results revealed that humans hear lower sounds from around 8 hertz on - a whole octave lower than had previously been assumed.

The study also revealed a reaction in certain parts of the brain which play a role in emotions.

'This means that a human being has a rather diffuse perception, saying that something is there and that this might involve danger,' Christian Koch says.

The researchers, however, didn't go as far as to say wind farms were damaging health.

'We're actually at the very beginning of our investigations,' said Koch. 'Further research is urgently needed.'

WIND TURBINES ARE NOT MAKING YOU SICK, CLAIMS REPORT

Sickness caused by wind turbines is not a real illness, a controversial report claimed last year.

Instead, symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and migraines are simply imagined by those living nearby, say US scientists.

Compiled by the Energy and Policy Institute in Washington DC, the report says ill-health blamed on turbines is merely the result of the 'nocebo' effect.

This is a term for something that creates a negative reaction in a person, despite there actually being nothing to affect their health or well-being.

The new US report reveals how court cases against wind turbines in five Western countries have been regularly dismissed.

In 49 cases brought to court in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK, 48 were dismissed as having no basis to their claims.

And the only winning case, in Falmouth, Massachusetts, related to noise caused early in a turbine's operation that apparently caused grievance to some nearby residents.

'These claims about wind turbines causing health impacts are not being upheld, which means there isn't sufficient evidence to prove that wind turbines cause any problems with human health,' said Gabe Elsner, the nonprofit's executive director, according to Climate Central.