Wind Farm Noise Study

Wind farm noise exposure, including audible and potentially inaudible low frequency components of sound (infrasound), has the potential to adversely affect sleep, health and well-being through two main plausible and inter-related mechanisms:

• chronic sleep fragmentation from frequent physiological activation responses to sensory disturbances in sleep; and
• chronic insomnia - which could potentially develop more gradually over time in sensitised individuals.

However, as outlined in the NHMRC rapid review of the evidence, there is a lack of data from studies using objective measures of sleep and sound. These data are now needed to definitively establish if and how wind farm noise disrupts sleep compared to other noise disturbances.

This project will, for the first time, use direct electroencephalographic (EEG) and cardiovascular measurements to systematically evaluate the sleep disruption and physiological activation response characteristics of wind farm noise during sleep.

Groups of individuals with and without prior wind farm noise exposure will be studied in carefully controlled laboratory conditions using pre-recorded and accurately-reproduced wind-farm noise, including and excluding low frequency components and infrasound.

Dose-response characteristics will also be evaluated against more ubiquitous traffic noise in sleep. Potential predictors of sleep disturbance responses such as sensory acuity, annoyance and physiological activation response to noise presented during wakefulness will also be evaluated.

1. T Liebich, L Lack, K Hansen, B Zajamšek, N Lovato, P Catcheside, Micic, G. (2020). A systematic review and meta‐analysis of wind turbine noise effects on sleep using validated objective and subjective sleep assessments. Journal of Sleep Research, e13228
2. Lechat B, Hansen K, Catcheside P, Zajamsek B. (2020). Beyond K-complex binary scoring during sleep: probabilistic classification using deep learning, Sleep, zsaa077, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa077
3. Nguyen, D.P., Hansen, K., Zajamsek, B., Catcheside, P. (2020). Evaluation of wind farm noise amplitude modulation synthesis quality. Applied Acoustics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2020.107349
4. Nguyen, D.P., Hansen, K., Zajamsek, B. (2020). Human perception of wind farm vibration.
   Journal of Low Frequency Noise Vibration and Active Control, https://doi.org/10.1177/1461348419837115
5. Alamir MA, Hansen KL, Zajamsek B, Catcheside P, Hansen C. (2019). Subjective responses to wind turbine noise: A review of laboratory listening test methods. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 114: 109317.
6. Hansen, K.L., Zajamsek, B. and Hansen, C. (2019). Investigation of a microphone height correction for long-range wind farm noise measurements. Applied Acoustics, 155: 97-110.
7. Hansen K, Nguyen P, Zajamsek B. (2019). Prevalence of wind farm amplitude modulation at long-range residential locations. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 455: 136-149.
8. Hansen, K, Zajamsek, B and Hansen, C. (2018). Towards a reasonable penalty for amplitude modulated wind turbine noise. Acoustics Australia, 46(1): 21-25.
9. Hansen, K, Zajamsek, B and Hansen, C. (2018). Wind Farm Noise Uncertainty: Prediction, Measurement and Compliance Assessment. Acoustics Australia, 46(1): 59-67.
10. Micic G, Zajamsek B, Lack L, Hansen K, Doolan C, Hansen C, Vakulin A, Lovato N, Bruck D, Chai-Coetzer CL, Mercer J, Catcheside P. (2018). A Review of the Potential Impacts of Wind Farm Noise on Sleep. Acoustics Australia, 46(1): 87-97.

1. Dunbar C, Catcheside P, Valukin A, Micic G (2020). A pilot study investigating the effect of road traffic and wind farm noise on electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral power during sleep. Adelaide Sleep Retreat
2. Manners J, Catcheside P, Dunbar C, Liebich T, Lovato N, Lack L, Micic G. (2020). Sound Asleep:
   Does Insomnia Explain Wind Turbine and Road Traffic Noise-Attributed Sleep Disturbance. Adelaide Sleep Retreat
3. Rawson G, Catcheside P, Liebich T, Dunbar C, Lovato N, Lack L, Micic G. (2020). What’s keeping you up at night? A population study investigating the effects of wind farm and road traffic noise on sleep in comparison to a quiet rural area. Adelaide Sleep Retreat
4. T Liebich, P Catcheside, L Lack, K Hansen, B Zajamsek, N Lovato, G Micic. (2020). An evaluation of wind farm noise effects on sleep using validated objective and subjective sleep assessment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Australasian Sleep Association, Sleep Down Under, October 2020, virtual online conference.
5. T Liebich, G Micic, K Hansen, B Zajamsek, N Lovato, P Catcheside, C Dunbar, B Lechat, F Decup, L Lack (2020). The effect of wind farm noise on subjective and polysomnographically measured sleep onset latency: a pilot study. Journal of Sleep Research, 280-280.
6. T Liebich, P Catcheside, L Lack, K Hansen, B Zajamsek, N Lovato, G Micic. (2020). An evaluation of wind farm noise effects on sleep using validated objective and subjective sleep assessment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sleep Research, 186-187.
7. F Decup, B Lechat, S Appleton, K Hansen, B Zajamsek, A Vakulin, R Adams, D Eckert, C Hirotsu, R Heinzer, P Catcheside (2020). Key components of the pulse wave amplitude signal during sleep are associated with prevalent hypertension in two large community samples. Journal of Sleep Research, 69-70.
8. G Micic, B Zajamsek, T Liebich, C Dunbar, B Lechat, F Decup, N Lovato, L Lack, K Hansen, A Vakulin, P Catcheside (2020). The validity of wrist-worn actigraphy compared to polysomnography for detecting sleep versus wake in the presence of environmental road traffic and wind farm noise. Journal of Sleep Research, 174. C Dunbar, P Catcheside, A Vakulin, K Hansen, B Zajamsek, B Lechat, F Decup, T Liebich, L Lack, G Micic. (2020). A pilot study investigating the effect of wind farm versus road traffic noise on electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral power during sleep. Journal of Sleep Research, 178.
9. Nguyen, D.P., Hansen, K., Zajamsek, B., Micic, G., Catcheside, P. (2020) Wind farm infrasound detectability and its effects on the perception of wind farm noise amplitude modulation. Acoustics 2019, Sound Decisions: Moving Forward with Acoustics - Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australian Acoustical Society
10. Hansen, K., Nguyen, P., Lechat, B., Zajamsek, B, Alamir, M., Micic, G., Catcheside, P. (2020). Comparison between perceptual responses to traffic noise and wind farm noise in a non-focused listening test. Acoustics, Sound Decisions: Moving Forward with Acoustics - Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australian Acoustical Society
11. Alamir, M.A., Catcheside, P.G. Hansen, K.L., Zajamsek, B. and Micic, G. (2019). Human response to wind farm noise compared to road traffic noise based on focussed listening tests. InterNoise.
12. Hansen, K., Zajamsek, B. (2019). Strategies to improve wind farm compliance assessment. International scientific consultation on wind turbine noise and possible impacts on living environment Ljubljana.
13. Dunbar, C., Vakulin, A., Micic, G., Zajamsek, B., Lack, L., Hansen, K., ... & Lovato, N. (2019, October). A pilot study examining EEG spectral power in the presence of infrasound during sleep. In Journal of Sleep Research, 28.
14. Liebich, T., Micic, G., Zajamsek, B., Hansen, K., Lack, L., Dunbar, C., ... & Catcheside, P. G. (2019, October). A pilot study investigating wind farm noise effects on objective and subjective sleep onset latency. In Journal of Sleep Research, 28.
15. Hansen, K., Nguyen, P., Zajamsek, B, Micic, G., Catcheside, P. (2019). Pilot study on perceived sleep acceptability of low-frequency, amplitude modulated tonal noise. Proceedings of the 23^rd International Congress on Acoustics, 9-13^th September, Aachen, Germany.
16. Nguyen, P, Hansen K, Zajamsek B. Characterizing amplitude modulation of wind farm noise. Hear to Listen, Acoustics Australia, South Australia, 6-9^th November 2018.
17. Lechat B, Hansen K, Zajamsek B, Catcheside P. Automatic detection of K-complexes. Oral presentation at the 9^th annual Adelaide Sleep Retreat (8^th November 2018).
18. Alamir MA, Hansen KL, Zajamsek B. The effect of wind farm noise on human response: An analysis of listening test methodologies. Hear to Listen, Acoustics Adelaide, South Australia, 6-9^th November 2018.
19. Hansen, K, Zajamsek, B., & Hansen, C. (2017) The Occurrence of Nocturnal Wind Farm Rumbling Noise. 7th International Conference on Wind Turbine Noise. Rotterdam, 2-5th May.
20. Liebich T, Micic G, Zajamsek B, Catcheside P. Evaluating Auditory Brainstem Responses in the Presence of Infrasound at Levels that Exist in the Environment. Oral presentation at the 8^th annual Adelaide Sleep Retreat (15^th November 2017).
21. Zajamsek B, Hansen KL, Micic G, Catcheside P, Hansen CH. The assessment of hearing thresholds in the presence of infrasound. 7^th International Conference on Wind Turbine Noise. Rotterdam 4^th May 2017.

This study was the first direct investigation of real-world wind farm noise compared to traffic noise effects using gold-standard assessments of sleep (i.e., polysomnography that measures brainwaves and other physiological factors to determine sleep/wake). The aim was to assess self-reported (subjective) and direct objective measures of sleep quality in a carefully controlled laboratory environment to investigate relationships between noise, sleep disturbances and other factors.

Participants were booked to attend the sleep laboratory for seven consecutive nights (plus additional recovery nights if required to recover from the experimental nights), based on their availability and the availability of the laboratory. They resided in a private, self-contained bedroom (like a hotel room, with a king-size single bed, ensuite and shower facilities) and were welcome to use a shared lounge, kitchen and washing facilities.

We also posted a sleep monitoring device (like a FitBit) and sleep diary, that participants will be asked to use for two weeks prior to their laboratory stay.

Upon arrival at the sleep laboratory on the very first evening, participants were familiarised with the facility and the experimental procedures and given an opportunity to settle into your bedroom. After dinner, research personnel including trained sleep and sound technicians, set up participants with sleep-recording devices. Participants then undertook a listening test to examine annoyance and acceptability for sleep toward different noise types, and complete questionnaires.

At their usual bedtime, lights were turned off in participants’ bedrooms for sleep.

Each morning, four saliva samples at 15-minute intervals as a measure of stress-response (cortisol, and a 5^th sample in the evening). Participants were then asked to complete a sequence of computerised tasks and questionnaire.

On a single occasion, a small hair sample was collected to measure long-term stress and, on another occasion, participants attended a 60-minute clinical audiology appointment at the Flinders Medical Centre Audiology Clinic.

Full accommodation, all meals and snack was provided during the stay.

Participants received $100 per night reimbursement for their time, plus $200 upon successful completion of all 7 overnights. Participants travelling from rural areas received $400 for travel expenses and $100 for urban travel to the laboratory.

Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, Nick Antic Laboratory located at 5 Laffer Drive, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042.  

1. Anyone aged 18 and over.
2. In particular, we are seeking interest from those who:
   1. Live <10 km away from a wind turbine
   2. Live adjacent to a busy main road
   3. Live in quiet areas unaffected by environmental noise
3. Those who can travel to Adelaide and reside in the laboratory for 7 consecutive nights.

Please contact Dr. Gorica Micic before December 2020.

Phone: +61 8 8201 2377
Email: WindFarmNoiseStudy@flinders.edu.au