title: Self-reported and measured stress related responses associated with exposure to wind turbine noise.
abstract: The current study was the first to assess stress reactions associated with wind turbine noise (WTN) exposure using self-reported and objective measures. Randomly selected participants, aged 18-79 yr (606 males; 632 females), living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines, were exposed to outdoor calculated WTN levels up to 46 dBA (response rate 78.9%). Multiple regression modeling left the great majority (77%-89%) of the variance in perceived stress scale (PSS) scores, hair cortisol concentrations, resting blood pressure, and heart rate unaccounted for, and WTN exposure had no apparent influence on any of these endpoints. PSS scores were positively, but weakly, related to cortisol concentrations and resting heart rate (Pearson r = 0.13 and r = 0.08, respectively). Across WTN categories, modeled mean PSS scores ranged from 13.15 to 13.84 (p = 0.8614). Modeled geometric means for hair cortisol concentrations, resting mean systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were 150.54-191.12 ng/g (p = 0.5416), 113.38-116.82 mmHg (p = 0.4990), 67.98-70.34 mmHg (p = 0.5006), and 68.24-70.71 bpm (p = 0.5223), respectively. Irrespective of WTN levels, diastolic blood pressure appeared to be slightly (2.90 mmHg 95% CI: 0.75,5.05) higher among participants highly annoyed by blinking lights on turbines (p = 0.0081). Collectively, the findings do not support an association between exposure to WTN up to 46 dBA and elevated self-reported and objectively defined measures of stress.
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Michaud
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada.
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Feder
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada.
authors.forename: Sonia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Voicescu
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Leonora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marro
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Than
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Population Studies Division, Biostatistics Section, 200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guay
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental Health Program, Health Programs Branch, Regions and Programs Bureau, 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denning
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Villeneuve
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, Siebens Drake Research Institute, Room 111, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.affiliation: The Amsterdam Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam), Environmental Health Department, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frits
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van den Berg