INFRASOUND RESEARCH AGH

01.05 – 30.06.2022 Infrasound research: Pawel Malecki, Tadeusz Wszolek, Malgorzata Pawlaczyk.

Infrasound is low-frequency acoustic waves. By convention, the boundary between the audible and infrasound bands is taken as 20 Hz. These signals are common in the environment, and their sources include modern transportation, extensive ventilation lines, large machinery, wind farms, but also the wind itself or large waterfalls or sea waves. There are many indications of the adverse effects of infrasound on human well-being and health, but due to the technical difficulties involved in recording and, above all, reproducing infrasound in laboratory conditions, research in this area is not very common.

Within the framework of the Hetman project, we are working intensively on this issue. In recent months, we have conducted a series of experiments involving the recording and subsequent controlled exposure of infrasound occurring in the vicinity of wind farms, under laboratory conditions.

For this purpose, we used large-size subwoofer systems used for sounding mass concerts to reconstruct the infrasound band in the 10-20 Hz range.

More than 120 people participated in the study, and exposure to the test signal lasted at least an hour. Preliminary analyses indicate very little annoyance from infrasound generated by wind turbines, confirming the results of similar experiments conducted in other countries.