Following an earlier review of evidence linking wind farms to human health, NHMRC sought to update and review available information. The documents here focus on the methods used to conduct a systematic literature review focusing on noise, shadow flicker and electromagnetic radiation.
Publication Data
Independent review conducted by Adelaide Health Technology Assessment
The Systematic review of the human health effects of wind farms was undertaken by independent reviewers from Adelaide Health Technology Assessment under the guidance of the Reference Group. To ensure all emerging research was captured, in September 2012 NHMRC conducted a call for submissions of evidence for consideration in the independent evidence review. The review considered a wide range of evidence published up to October 2012.
The outcomes of the independent review were finalised in late 2013 and considered by the Reference Group to inform the development of a draft Information Paper on the evidence on wind farms and human health. The independent review also identified gaps in the current evidence base to inform the Reference Group’s recommendations for further research. The independent review was released by NHMRC in February 2014 as a background document, accompanying the draft Information Paper which was released for public consultation. Minor corrections to the contents of this report were published in February 2015.
Additional review of evidence conducted by Monash University
To ensure that the Information Paper was informed by all the relevant evidence, the Review of additional evidence for NHMRC Information Paper: Evidence on Wind Farms and Human Health was conducted by a collaborative team from the Australasian Cochrane Centre and the Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at Monash University. The review included new evidence published from October 2012 up to May 2014, and also considered the references submitted during public consultation and expert review of the draft Information Paper.