title: Personal and situational variables associated with wind turbine noise annoyance.
abstract: The possibility that wind turbine noise (WTN) affects human health remains controversial. The current analysis presents results related to WTN annoyance reported by randomly selected participants (606 males, 632 females), aged 18-79, living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines. WTN levels reached 46 dB, and for each 5 dB increase in WTN levels, the odds of reporting to be either very or extremely (i.e., highly) annoyed increased by 2.60 [95% confidence interval: (1.92, 3.58), p < 0.0001]. Multiple regression models had R(2)'s up to 58%, with approximately 9% attributed to WTN level. Variables associated with WTN annoyance included, but were not limited to, other wind turbine-related annoyances, personal benefit, noise sensitivity, physical safety concerns, property ownership, and province. Annoyance was related to several reported measures of health and well-being, although these associations were statistically weak (R(2 )< 9%), independent of WTN levels, and not retained in multiple regression models. The role of community tolerance level as a complement and/or an alternative to multiple regression in predicting the prevalence of WTN annoyance is also provided. The analysis suggests that communities are between 11 and 26 dB less tolerant of WTN than of other transportation noise sources.
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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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, Air Health Science Division, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavigne
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, c/o Carlington Community Health Center, 900 Merivale Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Environment and Safety, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sabine A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leroux
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