Community based study of health effects of infrasound

Summary

A team of investigators at the Woolcock Institute have been funded by the NHMRC to evaluate any health effects associated with wind turbine simulated infrasound. Infrasound is below the human threshold for hearing so is inaudible.The study design is a randomised controlled trial. We have developed sets of speakers and electronic hardware to deliver simulated wind turbine infrasound and matching speakers that deliver no infrasound into the bedrooms of participants. Neither the participant nor the clinical researcher will know what type of speakers have been installed in the bedroom until final analyses at completion of the study.

Supervisor(s)

Dr Brett Toelle

Research Location

Camperdown - Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

Program Type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

The study will commence in August 2019 and should be complete by October 2020. To assess any potential health effects we will collect information about sleep parameters and sleep disturbance, cognitive test performance, psychological health, annoyance, cardiovascular and stress measures and neurootological assessments conducted by an Audiologist.This study provides the opportunity for a student to participate in data collection and to conduct secondary analyses of the relationship between various health outcomes.
Proposals for secondary analyses on this dataset will require Human Research Ethics Committee approval.

Keywords

environmental epidemiology, health impact, wind turbines, infrasound, Sleep disturbance

Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is: 2669

Other opportunities with Dr Brett Toelle

• Epidemiological investigation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) within the Australian Burden of Lung Disease (BOLD) study
• Epidemiological investigation of Childhood Asthma within the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (CAPS)
• Emotional Wellbeing in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)