The evidence that infrasound — inaudible sound pressure waves below the hearing threshold — can cause “significant biological impacts.” That was the conclusion to a new German study by Lehmann et. al.
“Infrasound, physically defined as sound at frequencies below 20 Hertz, can travel long distances with minimal attenuation and permeate biological tissues,” the authors state. “It can be generated from natural sources such as wind, volcanoes, avalanches, and earthquakes. It can also be generated by man-made sources, e.g., wind turbines, diesel engines, and ventilation systems.”
Among man-made sources, wind turbine-generated infrasound is distinctive for its rhythmic, repetitive pattern, setting it apart from most other environmental low-frequency sources and drawing particular attention in both public discourse and scientific investigation.
“Infrasound and Human Health: Mechanisms, Effects, and Applications”, February 2nd, 2026, mdpi.com
Of note, the German study takes aim at the widely criticized and outdated 2012 Health Canada study that is still used by wind corporations to this day to dismiss out of hand the harm caused by infrasound.
In Health Canada’s large cross-sectional survey of over 1200 adults living near turbines, they found no association between exposure time and blood pressure or heart rate. The study was also based on data from dwellings in the vicinity of smaller wind turbines with rated electrical power outputs ranging from 660 kW to 3 MW.
“However,” say the German authors, “those studies do not consider the current state of knowledge regarding the impact of infrasound on cellular mechanotransduction, as reflected in blood pressure and heart rate measurements.” Moreover, turbines today are significantly higher and larger.1
Mechanotransduction: “A fundamental basis for all living creatures”
Mechanotransduction is the process by which cells convert mechanical signals into electrical or chemical signals. It’s responsible for several physiological processes in the body, including touch, balance, and hearing.
One of the German study’s authors, Dr. Ursula Bellut-Staeck, has conducted extensive research into the effects of infrasound at the cellular level. In her own study published in The Journal of Clinical Medicine, she found that mechanotransduction is significantly endangered by periodic exposure to impulsive infrasound, like wind turbines, particularly cardiovascular and embryological functions.
With ever larger wind turbines, the frequencies are getting lower and lower. This makes infrasound more problematic and dangerous.
Dr. Bellut-Staeck, The Epoch Times, March 23, 2024
As all organisms react to infrasound, Dr. Bellut-Staeck emphasized that “we may have a huge, previously unrecognized threat to the entire biodiversity.”2
The German study goes on to say that, “Low-frequency noise from environmental sources such as wind turbines, which often includes infrasound components, has been associated with disrupted sleep and reduced performance on higher-order cognitive tasks (e.g., logical reasoning, mathematical calculations). However, causality remains debated, with some reports emphasizing annoyance, restlessness, or emotional discomfort in the absence of consistent objective deficits. The results of the Weichenberger study could provide an explanation, as could the fact that infrasound can temporarily increase alertness.”
This, they assert, might explain why many people living near wind turbines experience insomnia. “It has been proven that infrasound activates three centers responsible for fear, flight, emotion, and central RR and pulse regulation. Importantly, because some of these centers are involved in attentional control and arousal, it has been suggested that activation of this pathway could, for example, wake people up at night, leaving them unable to pin down what actually caused them to waken.”
Sherri Lange, CEO of the North American Platform Against Wind Power, shared a half dozen of the thousands of testimonies she helped to collect from Ontario residents who have been forced to live beneath wind turbines. She recounted one family near Amaranth, Ontario, who, after six years of enduring the impacts of the turbines, said they became emotionally and financially drained:
We cannot sleep, we are sick, our animals are sick, our children cannot live in our house, friends come and have to leave, our doctor says we should not be living in our house. The Ministry insists all is fine. We have taken three-year-old Keiara to the emergency room 10 times with problems and Dr. McMurtry said my daughter shouldn’t be there (at their home in Ripley). My daughter has earaches with screaming at night and is not active as usual. Since (we moved), she’s been a totally different child.
cf. Ontarians’ Turbine Nightmare Continues
Recent studies published by Professor Ken Mattsson and the Colas et al. group indicate that sound pressure levels (SPLs) have been significantly underestimated under various atmospheric conditions and near several wind turbines. Current plans for 7 MW-class wind turbines suggest a further increase in sound pressure levels, reaching up to 120 dB (Z).
Dr. Håkan Enbom, M.D., Ph.D., warns that when you start reaching outputs of 120-140dB…
These are levels where you can start talking about damage to cells in the brain. And these are actually levels that also arise from wind turbines…
cf. Infrasound Affects the Brain
Says Professor Mattsson:
We really need to stop and investigate really how dangerous this infrasound is. Infrasound can potentially spread at least 10 kilometers at levels that have proven to affect people. So I would say safe distance is most likely five to ten kilometers at least.
Copenhagen, October 8, 2025; YouTube
The German study adds: “Research and case studies have shown that wind turbine noise can diminish concentration and cognitive performance. Correlation factors include sleep disturbances, increased annoyance, and stress. Lab studies that include EEG and fMRI data show that relaxation and concentration become more difficult as infrasound levels increase. Thus, it can be assumed that, in proximity to wind turbines, there is a diminished cognitive function.”
But the study also admits that proof of causality is “complex” and at times “subjective,” hence more study is needed. That may be in part because not everyone experiences the same adverse health effects.
The vast majority have a moderate degree of increased sensitivity and perhaps do not think so much about it. And another part has a lower degree of sensitivity, while around 13 to 15 percent have a really high sensitivity. And this means that this group of people who come to a wind turbine may be affected by symptoms already after a couple of hours of exposure.
Dr. Håkan Enbom, M.D., Ph.D., Copenhagen 2025; cf. Infrasound Affects the Brain
Insufficient Measurements
One of the most critical issues in the wind industry at present is how noise, both audible and inaudible, is measured. The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), the regulatory body that approves energy projects, only requires A- and C-weighted sound measurements under Rule 012. However, the German study explains why this is inadequate:
“A-weighting emphasizes mid-range frequencies (around 500 Hz–6 kHz) where human hearing is most sensitive, attenuating low- and high-frequency sounds, and is widely used for general noise assessment. C-weighting flattens the response at higher sound levels, giving more weight to low frequencies, and is often used to evaluate loud environments. G-weighting targets infrasound, emphasizing frequencies below 20 Hz and reflecting pressure fluctuations interacting with the body rather than perceived loudness. Z-weighting applies no frequency correction, providing a flat response across the audible and low-frequency ranges, which is essential for capturing the full energy content of environmental sound.”
Thus, both the Health Canada study and the AUC have missed the mark in recording or requiring the true impacts of infrasound, having utilized only A- and C-weighted measurements, limited to 20 Hz. Thus, a recent decision by the AUC was predictable:
The Commission accepts that the Health Canada Study was based on extensive and comprehensive measurements, modelling and surveys… the Commission finds that the [Oyen Wind Albert, Inc.] project is unlikely to have adverse noise impacts to residents.
AUC Decision 29377-D01-2025, October 20, 2025
“Salt and Kaltenbach demonstrated this underestimation in wind turbine sounds,” note the Germans. “At 10 Hz, A-weighting recorded no measurable sound, while C- and G-weighted measures, as well as unweighted measures, indicated pressures of 40–60 dB. In the 1 Hz range, C- and G-weighted measures remained similar, whereas the unweighted measure reached ~90 dB. These levels can stimulate inner hair cells on the basilar membrane and in various body cavities, demonstrating that sub-10 Hz turbine sounds are potent biological stimuli.”
But the wind industry and their regulatory friends have been put on notice. Prof. Mattsson has, together with Dr. Gustav Eriksson, PhD, developed SoundSim360, which is based on more than 25 years of research. They are beginning to measure below 1Hz, revealing dangerous levels of infrasound near turbine sites — measurements that have thus far been ignored by regulators.
Thus, the German study concludes:
Exposure to infrasound is an important environmental stressor that has received little attention and can have significant biological impacts on various body systems. Scientific evidence from cellular and animal studies, as well as limited human studies, indicates that high-intensity infrasound can induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium accumulation, and activation of apoptotic pathways, ultimately leading to tissue damage and functional disorders in cardiovascular, nervous, and other systems.
“Infrasound and Human Health: Mechanisms, Effects, and Applications”, Lehmann et. al., February 2nd, 2026, mdpi.com
- cf. How Big?, and County of St. Paul Restricts Turbine Heights[↩]
- cf. “Infrasound: ‘A Huge Threat to the Entire Biodiversity’,” says Doctor”[↩]
Mark Mallett is a former award-winning reporter with CTV Edmonton and an independent researcher and author. His family homesteaded between Vermilion and Cold Lake, Alberta, and now resides in the Lakeland region. Mark is Editor in Chief of Wind Concerns.