Castelo Branco, Alves-Pereira: Study of Family Exposed to Low Frequency Noise
14th International Meeting on Low Frequency Noise and Vibration and its Control
Aalborg, Denmark 9 – 11 June 2010
Nuno Castelo Branco, Mariana Alves-Pereira, et al
Family with wind turbines in close proximity to home: follow-up of the case presented in 2007
This report is a follow-up to the 2007 case of family R, exposed to Low Frequency Noise (LFN) generated by Wind Turbines (WT), and who had begun to develop signs of LFN-induced pathology consistent with vibroacoustic disease. Although Mrs. R and both children no longer reside in this home and have been regaining their health, Mr. R must remain to care for thoroughbred Lusitanian horses and bull that he breeds for bullfighting. As a result, his health has deteriorated rapidly, and now includes a more pronounced cognitive impairment and noise intolerance.
The pattern of onset of equine flexural deformities before and after the installation of WT in the farm’s vicinity, led to check ligament biopsies of 4 foals raised on Mr. R’s farm, and of 1 foal purchased by Mr. R from another breeder. It was shown that all 3 foals raised on Mr. R’s farm disclosed the classical signs of LFN-induced responses: thickening of blood vessel walls due to proliferation of collagen in the absence of inflammatory processes. The purchased yearling foal did not exhibit these morphological features.
The results presented herein strongly suggest that the presence of LFN-generating WT in the vicinity of this horse breeding farm can play a significant role in the triggering and onset of equine flexural limb deformities.