Resource Documents: China (4 items)
Documents presented here are not the product of nor are they necessarily endorsed by National Wind Watch. These resource documents are provided to assist anyone wishing to research the issue of industrial wind power and the impacts of its development. The information should be evaluated by each reader to come to their own conclusions about the many areas of debate.
Physical and mental health issues in wind farm workers
Author: Various
Preliminary evaluation of mental status and an investigation of occupational health knowledge demand in operating and maintenance personnel in wind power plants
Abstract [article in Chinese] —
Objective: To investigate the mental status, level of occupational health knowledge, health behaviors, and occupational health knowledge demand in operating and maintenance personnel in wind power plants, and to provide a basis for formulating protective measures of occupational health for operating and maintenance personnel in wind power plants. Methods: A cluster sampling was performed in regionally representative wind power plants in the wind power industry from May 2014 to June 2015, and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and a self-made evaluation questionnaire were used to investigate the general status, mental health, and occupational health knowledge demand in 160 operating and maintenance workers. Results: Of all respondents, 26.9% had mental health issues. The awareness rate of infectious disease knowledge and preventive measures was 11.9%. Of all workers, 96.5% wanted to know the occupational hazard factors in the workplace, and 96.3% wanted to get the knowledge of the prevention of related diseases. Conclusion: Mental health issues in operating and maintenance personnel in wind power plants cannot be neglected and there is a high demand for occupational health services and related knowledge. Comprehensive intervention measures for health promotion in the workplace should be adopted to improve working environment, enhance individual mental health education, increase the level of occupational health management, and protect the health of workers.
Hu SQ, Zhang Q, Zhu XH, Sun K, Chen SZ, Liu AG, Luo GL, and Huang W
Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Center of Zhuzhou, China
Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi [Chinese journal of industrial hygiene and occupational diseases]. 2016 Oct 20;34(10):787-789.
doi: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1001-9391.2016.10.019
Analysis of occupational health examination data of operation and maintenance personnel in wind farm
摘要 —
目的： 分析风电场维护人员在岗期间职业健康检查结果，为该行业相关职业健康检查项目的设置提供依据。 方法： 于2013年3至7月，采用整群抽样的方法，选取某公司风电事业部所属17家风力发电场的运行维护人员151人作为观察组，该公司风电事业部叶片生产作业人员336人作为对照组。通过现场流行病学调查法、职业健康检查法、症状自评量表（SCL-90）和北欧肌肉骨骼疾患调查问卷（NMQ）了解风电场运行维护人员主要健康问题。 结果： 风电场运行维护人员下背痛发生率为88.7%，SCL-90各因子得分均高于对照组（P<0.05）；风电场运行维护人员收缩压、血小板计数、血清丙氨酸转氨酶水平均低于对照组人员，第1秒用力呼气容积（FEV(1)）与用力肺活量（FVC）比值（FEV(1)/FVC%）、直接胆红素水平、双耳高频和双耳语频均高于对照组人员，差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。 结论： 风电场运行维护人员下背痛和心理健康问题较突出，其职业健康检查项目应结合肌肉骨骼疾患及心理问题设置。 [click here for computer translation]
Shen YS, Zhu XH, and Sun K
Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi [Chinese journal of industrial hygiene and occupational diseases]. 2017 Aug 20;35(8):627-629.
doi: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1001-9391.2017.08.021
Observed impacts of wind farms on local vegetation growth in northern China
Author: Tang, Bijian; et al.
Abstract:
Wind farms (WFs) can affect the local climate, and local climate change may influence underlying vegetation. Some studies have shown that WFs affect certain aspects of the regional climate, such as temperature and rainfall. However, there is still no evidence to demonstrate whether WFs can affect local vegetation growth, a significant part of the overall assessment of WF effects. In this research, based on the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer vegetation index, productivity and other remote-sensing data from 2003 to 2014, the effects of WFs in the Bashang area of Northern China on vegetation growth and productivity in the summer (June–August) were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) WFs had a significant inhibiting effect on vegetation growth, as demonstrated by decreases in the leaf area index, the enhanced vegetation index, and the normalized difference vegetation index of approximately 14.5%, 14.8%, and 8.9%, respectively, in the 2003–2014 summers. There was also an inhibiting effect of 8.9% on summer gross primary production and 4.0% on annual net primary production coupled with WFs; and (2) the major impact factors might be the changes in temperature and soil moisture: WFs suppressed soil moisture and enhanced water stress in the study area. This research provides significant observational evidence that WFs can inhibit the growth and productivity of the underlying vegetation.
Bijian Tang, Donghai Wu, Xiang Zhao, Tao Zhou, Wenqian Zhao, and Hong Wei
State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Global Land Remote Sensing, College of Remote Sensing Science and Engineering, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University; Joint Center for Global Change Studies (JCGCS), Beijing; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University;
Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Natural Disaster, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University; and Shaanxi Jinkong Compass Information Service Co., Xi’an, China
Remote Sensing 2017, 9(4), 332; doi: 10.3390/rs9040332
Download original document: “Observed impacts of wind farms on local vegetation growth in northern China”
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Prevalence and its risk factors for low back pain among operation and maintenance personnel in wind farms
Author: Jia, Ning; et al.
Abstract
Background. With the increasingly severe energy shortage and climate change problems, developing wind power has become a key energy development strategy and an inevitable choice to protect the ecological environment worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and analyze its risk factors among operation and maintenance personnel in wind farms (OMPWF).
Methods. A cross-sectional survey of 151 OMPWF was performed, and a comprehensive questionnaire, which was modified and combined from Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaires (NMQ), Washington State Ergonomics Tool (WSET) and Syndrome Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used to assess the prevalence and risk factors of LBP among OMPWF.
Results. The prevalence of LBP was 88.74% (134/151) among OMPWF. The multivariable model highlighted four related factors: backrest, somatization, squatting and lifting objects weighing more than 10 lb more than twice per minute.
Conclusions. The prevalence of LBP among OMPWF appears to be high and highlights a major occupational health concern.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016; 17: 314.
Published online 2016 Jul 26. doi: 10.1186/s12891-016-1180-y
Ning Jia, Tao Li, Yuzhen Li, Xueyan Zhang, Yongen Gu, Zhongxu Wang
Department of Occupational Protection and Ergonomics, National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
Shuangqiu Hu, Xinhe Zhu, Kang Sun
Labor Health Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Center, Zhuzhou, China
Long Yi, Qiong Zhang
Wind Power Division, Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Institute Corporation, China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock, Zhuzhou, China
Guilian Luo
Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, China
Download original document: “Prevalence and its risk factors for low back pain among operation and maintenance personnel in wind farms”
An Investigation on the Physiological and Psychological Effects of Infrasound on Persons
Author: Qibai, Chen Yuan Huang; and Shi, Hanmin
CONCLUSIONS: The physiological and psychological effects of infrasound (2.14Hz 110dB and 4.10 Hz 1200 dB) on persons are summarized as follows:
- Being exposed to infrasound, a person feels headachy, fretful and tired.
- Infrasound can cause the changes of blood pressure and heart rate.
- In the infrasound condition with 4.10 Hz and 120 dB for over 1 hour, systolic pressure and heart rate of most subjects rose with the exception that the dias- tolic pressure of some subjects fell.
- In the infrasound condition with 2.14 Hz, 110 dB for over 1 hour, systolic pressure and diastolic pressure of subjects rose. But heart rate of some subjects rose and others fell.
- Different individuals have different responses to infrasound and the change ratio of blood pressure and heart rate are also different.
- By comparing physiological and psychological effects of infrasound on persons in two different infrasound conditions, we find that there are not obvious differences.
- Studying the relationships between the physiological and psychological effects of infrasound and the frequency and pressure level of infrasound is very necessary.
Chen Yuan Huang Qibai and Hanmin Shi
School of Mechanical Science & Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, Vol. 23, No. 1, Pages 71–76, 2004
Download original document: “An Investigation on the Physiological and Psychological Effects of Infrasound on Persons”
