The claim
It has been suggested that wind turbines cause cancer. US President Donald Trump has made the claim, as have others.
Analysis
I cannot find any studies that support this claim. This fact checking site couldn’t find any either. All the evidence indicates it is false.
A 2014 medical study in the US journal, Frontiers in Public Health examined all known studies on the matter and concluded:
“when sited properly, wind turbines are not related to adverse health effects.”
Wikipedia says Wind Turbine Syndrome is a “conspiracy theory”.
Some things we DO know
- Coal fired power stations DO cause cancer. A study reported by the Harvard School of Public Health estimated that by 2025, coal-fired power stations will have caused 1.37 million lung cancer cases.
- Wind turbine do kill birds, but cats, motor vehicles and power lines are hundreds of times more likely to kill birds.
- Wind turbine noise and movement have been found to cause stress, lack of sleep and other problems if sites too close to homes. However other studies have found no adverse affects.
- This report said 25 separate studies “have found that living near wind turbines does not pose a risk on human health.”
Verdict
There is no evidence that wind turbines cause cancer. It seems to be misinformation put out by vested interests.
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Photo by Laura Penwell from Pexels.