Assessment of acoustic comfort in urban spaces near wind farms. Case study: Cuesta Chica Piletas, community adjacent to Pier II wind farm, Puebla de Zaragoza, Mexico.

There is ongoing discussion regarding the adverse effects of wind turbine sounds from wind farms on nearby communities. Although these sounds do not exhibit high sound pressure levels, they are characterized by low-frequency energy, including infrasound, making them difficult to identify. These sounds are associated with drowsiness, fatigue, and headaches, and prolonged exposure may lead to physiological responses such as vasoconstriction, vasodilation, and central nervous system alterations. While global reports exist on the potential impacts of these sounds, research in Latin America is scarce. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to better understand their effects. This study characterized the sounds from the Pier II wind farm and determined, through qualitative analysis, the psychoacoustic sensations they induce in the Cuesta Chica Piletas community in Puebla, Mexico. Analyses revealed a dominance of low frequencies in the sounds. Residents easily identify these sounds with increased wind speed, classifying them as noise and a source of discomfort, placing them outside acoustic comfort. The future prospects of this research involve collaborating with a neurological department to investigate potential sleep disorders induced by wind turbine noise emissions in community residents, with the aim of more clearly identifying their impacts