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Landrigan PJ, Raps H, Cropper M, Bald C, Brunner M, Canonizado EM, Charles D, Chiles TC, Donohue MJ, Enck J, Fenichel P, Fleming LE, Ferrier-Pages C, Fordham R, Gozt A, Griffin C, Hahn ME, Haryanto B, Hixson R, Ianelli H, James BD, Kumar P, Laborde A, Law KL, Martin K, Mu J, Mulders Y, Mustapha A, Niu J, Pahl S, Park Y, Pedrotti ML, Pitt JA, Ruchirawat M, Seewoo BJ, Spring M, Stegeman JJ, Suk W, Symeonides C, Takada H, Thompson RC, Vicini A, Wang Z, Whitman E, Wirth D, Wolff M, Yousuf AK, Dunlop S. The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Ann Glob Health 2023; 89:23. [PMID: 36969097 PMCID: PMC10038118 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine, electronics, aerospace, construction, food packaging, and sports. It is now clear, however, that plastics are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth's environment. These harms occur at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of the coal, oil, and gas that are its main feedstocks through to ultimate disposal into the environment. The extent of these harms not been systematically assessed, their magnitude not fully quantified, and their economic costs not comprehensively counted. Goals The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics' impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations-the poor, minorities, and the world's children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives. Report Structure This Commission report contains seven Sections. Following an Introduction, Section 2 presents a narrative review of the processes involved in plastic production, use, and disposal and notes the hazards to human health and the environment associated with each of these stages. Section 3 describes plastics' impacts on the ocean and notes the potential for plastic in the ocean to enter the marine food web and result in human exposure. Section 4 details plastics' impacts on human health. Section 5 presents a first-order estimate of plastics' health-related economic costs. Section 6 examines the intersection between plastic, social inequity, and environmental injustice. Section 7 presents the Commission's findings and recommendations. Plastics Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous, synthetic chemical materials. Over 98% of plastics are produced from fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. Plastics are comprised of a carbon-based polymer backbone and thousands of additional chemicals that are incorporated into polymers to convey specific properties such as color, flexibility, stability, water repellence, flame retardation, and ultraviolet resistance. Many of these added chemicals are highly toxic. They include carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate flame retardants. They are integral components of plastic and are responsible for many of plastics' harms to human health and the environment.Global plastic production has increased almost exponentially since World War II, and in this time more than 8,300 megatons (Mt) of plastic have been manufactured. Annual production volume has grown from under 2 Mt in 1950 to 460 Mt in 2019, a 230-fold increase, and is on track to triple by 2060. More than half of all plastic ever made has been produced since 2002. Single-use plastics account for 35-40% of current plastic production and represent the most rapidly growing segment of plastic manufacture.Explosive recent growth in plastics production reflects a deliberate pivot by the integrated multinational fossil-carbon corporations that produce coal, oil and gas and that also manufacture plastics. These corporations are reducing their production of fossil fuels and increasing plastics manufacture. The two principal factors responsible for this pivot are decreasing global demand for carbon-based fuels due to increases in 'green' energy, and massive expansion of oil and gas production due to fracking.Plastic manufacture is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to climate change. At present, plastic production is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the contribution of Brazil. This fraction is projected to increase to 4.5% by 2060 if current trends continue unchecked. Plastic Life Cycle The plastic life cycle has three phases: production, use, and disposal. In production, carbon feedstocks-coal, gas, and oil-are transformed through energy-intensive, catalytic processes into a vast array of products. Plastic use occurs in every aspect of modern life and results in widespread human exposure to the chemicals contained in plastic. Single-use plastics constitute the largest portion of current use, followed by synthetic fibers and construction.Plastic disposal is highly inefficient, with recovery and recycling rates below 10% globally. The result is that an estimated 22 Mt of plastic waste enters the environment each year, much of it single-use plastic and are added to the more than 6 gigatons of plastic waste that have accumulated since 1950. Strategies for disposal of plastic waste include controlled and uncontrolled landfilling, open burning, thermal conversion, and export. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health-environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic. Environmental Findings Plastics and plastic-associated chemicals are responsible for widespread pollution. They contaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater), terrestrial, and atmospheric environments globally. The ocean is the ultimate destination for much plastic, and plastics are found throughout the ocean, including coastal regions, the sea surface, the deep sea, and polar sea ice. Many plastics appear to resist breakdown in the ocean and could persist in the global environment for decades. Macro- and micro-plastic particles have been identified in hundreds of marine species in all major taxa, including species consumed by humans. Trophic transfer of microplastic particles and the chemicals within them has been demonstrated. Although microplastic particles themselves (>10 µm) appear not to undergo biomagnification, hydrophobic plastic-associated chemicals bioaccumulate in marine animals and biomagnify in marine food webs. The amounts and fates of smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs <10 µm) in aquatic environments are poorly understood, but the potential for harm is worrying given their mobility in biological systems. Adverse environmental impacts of plastic pollution occur at multiple levels from molecular and biochemical to population and ecosystem. MNP contamination of seafood results in direct, though not well quantified, human exposure to plastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Marine plastic pollution endangers the ocean ecosystems upon which all humanity depends for food, oxygen, livelihood, and well-being. Human Health Findings Coal miners, oil workers and gas field workers who extract fossil carbon feedstocks for plastic production suffer increased mortality from traumatic injury, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Plastic production workers are at increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, hepatic angiosarcoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, neurotoxic injury, and decreased fertility. Workers producing plastic textiles die of bladder cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and interstitial lung disease at increased rates. Plastic recycling workers have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer. Residents of "fenceline" communities adjacent to plastic production and waste disposal sites experience increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.During use and also in disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals including additives and residual monomers into the environment and into people. National biomonitoring surveys in the USA document population-wide exposures to these chemicals. Plastic additives disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for premature births, neurodevelopmental disorders, male reproductive birth defects, infertility, obesity, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancers. Chemical-laden MNPs formed through the environmental degradation of plastic waste can enter living organisms, including humans. Emerging, albeit still incomplete evidence indicates that MNPs may cause toxicity due to their physical and toxicological effects as well as by acting as vectors that transport toxic chemicals and bacterial pathogens into tissues and cells.Infants in the womb and young children are two populations at particularly high risk of plastic-related health effects. Because of the exquisite sensitivity of early development to hazardous chemicals and children's unique patterns of exposure, plastic-associated exposures are linked to increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer. Early-life exposures to plastic-associated chemicals also increase the risk of multiple non-communicable diseases later in life. Economic Findings Plastic's harms to human health result in significant economic costs. We estimate that in 2015 the health-related costs of plastic production exceeded $250 billion (2015 Int$) globally, and that in the USA alone the health costs of disease and disability caused by the plastic-associated chemicals PBDE, BPA and DEHP exceeded $920 billion (2015 Int$). Plastic production results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 1.96 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) annually. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) social cost of carbon metric, we estimate the annual costs of these GHG emissions to be $341 billion (2015 Int$).These costs, large as they are, almost certainly underestimate the full economic losses resulting from plastics' negative impacts on human health and the global environment. All of plastics' economic costs-and also its social costs-are externalized by the petrochemical and plastic manufacturing industry and are borne by citizens, taxpayers, and governments in countries around the world without compensation. Social Justice Findings The adverse effects of plastics and plastic pollution on human health, the economy and the environment are not evenly distributed. They disproportionately affect poor, disempowered, and marginalized populations such as workers, racial and ethnic minorities, "fenceline" communities, Indigenous groups, women, and children, all of whom had little to do with creating the current plastics crisis and lack the political influence or the resources to address it. Plastics' harmful impacts across its life cycle are most keenly felt in the Global South, in small island states, and in disenfranchised areas in the Global North. Social and environmental justice (SEJ) principles require reversal of these inequitable burdens to ensure that no group bears a disproportionate share of plastics' negative impacts and that those who benefit economically from plastic bear their fair share of its currently externalized costs. Conclusions It is now clear that current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices.The main driver of these worsening harms is an almost exponential and still accelerating increase in global plastic production. Plastics' harms are further magnified by low rates of recovery and recycling and by the long persistence of plastic waste in the environment.The thousands of chemicals in plastics-monomers, additives, processing agents, and non-intentionally added substances-include amongst their number known human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are responsible for many of plastics' known harms to human and planetary health. The chemicals leach out of plastics, enter the environment, cause pollution, and result in human exposure and disease. All efforts to reduce plastics' hazards must address the hazards of plastic-associated chemicals. Recommendations To protect human and planetary health, especially the health of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and put the world on track to end plastic pollution by 2040, this Commission supports urgent adoption by the world's nations of a strong and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty in accord with the mandate set forth in the March 2022 resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).International measures such as a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to curb plastic production and pollution, because the harms to human health and the environment caused by plastics, plastic-associated chemicals and plastic waste transcend national boundaries, are planetary in their scale, and have disproportionate impacts on the health and well-being of people in the world's poorest nations. Effective implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty will require that international action be coordinated and complemented by interventions at the national, regional, and local levels.This Commission urges that a cap on global plastic production with targets, timetables, and national contributions be a central provision of the Global Plastics Treaty. We recommend inclusion of the following additional provisions:The Treaty needs to extend beyond microplastics and marine litter to include all of the many thousands of chemicals incorporated into plastics.The Treaty needs to include a provision banning or severely restricting manufacture and use of unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic items, especially single-use items such as manufactured plastic microbeads.The Treaty needs to include requirements on extended producer responsibility (EPR) that make fossil carbon producers, plastic producers, and the manufacturers of plastic products legally and financially responsible for the safety and end-of-life management of all the materials they produce and sell.The Treaty needs to mandate reductions in the chemical complexity of plastic products; health-protective standards for plastics and plastic additives; a requirement for use of sustainable non-toxic materials; full disclosure of all components; and traceability of components. International cooperation will be essential to implementing and enforcing these standards.The Treaty needs to include SEJ remedies at each stage of the plastic life cycle designed to fill gaps in community knowledge and advance both distributional and procedural equity.This Commission encourages inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty of a provision calling for exploration of listing at least some plastic polymers as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.This Commission encourages a strong interface between the Global Plastics Treaty and the Basel and London Conventions to enhance management of hazardous plastic waste and slow current massive exports of plastic waste into the world's least-developed countries.This Commission recommends the creation of a Permanent Science Policy Advisory Body to guide the Treaty's implementation. The main priorities of this Body would be to guide Member States and other stakeholders in evaluating which solutions are most effective in reducing plastic consumption, enhancing plastic waste recovery and recycling, and curbing the generation of plastic waste. This Body could also assess trade-offs among these solutions and evaluate safer alternatives to current plastics. It could monitor the transnational export of plastic waste. It could coordinate robust oceanic-, land-, and air-based MNP monitoring programs.This Commission recommends urgent investment by national governments in research into solutions to the global plastic crisis. This research will need to determine which solutions are most effective and cost-effective in the context of particular countries and assess the risks and benefits of proposed solutions. Oceanographic and environmental research is needed to better measure concentrations and impacts of plastics <10 µm and understand their distribution and fate in the global environment. Biomedical research is needed to elucidate the human health impacts of plastics, especially MNPs. Summary This Commission finds that plastics are both a boon to humanity and a stealth threat to human and planetary health. Plastics convey enormous benefits, but current linear patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal that pay little attention to sustainable design or safe materials and a near absence of recovery, reuse, and recycling are responsible for grave harms to health, widespread environmental damage, great economic costs, and deep societal injustices. These harms are rapidly worsening.While there remain gaps in knowledge about plastics' harms and uncertainties about their full magnitude, the evidence available today demonstrates unequivocally that these impacts are great and that they will increase in severity in the absence of urgent and effective intervention at global scale. Manufacture and use of essential plastics may continue. However, reckless increases in plastic production, and especially increases in the manufacture of an ever-increasing array of unnecessary single-use plastic products, need to be curbed.Global intervention against the plastic crisis is needed now because the costs of failure to act will be immense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Hervé Raps
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Maureen Cropper
- Economics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, US
| | - Caroline Bald
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Fenichel
- Université Côte d’Azur
- Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Nice, FR
| | - Lora E. Fleming
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, UK
| | | | | | | | - Carly Griffin
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Mark E. Hahn
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, US
| | - Budi Haryanto
- Department of Environmental Health, Universitas Indonesia, ID
- Research Center for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, ID
| | - Richard Hixson
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Hannah Ianelli
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Bryan D. James
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | | | - Amalia Laborde
- Department of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, UY
| | | | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, US
| | - Jenna Mu
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | - Adetoun Mustapha
- Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
- Lead City University, NG
| | - Jia Niu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, US
| | - Sabine Pahl
- University of Vienna, Austria
- University of Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Maria-Luiza Pedrotti
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche sur mer (LOV), Sorbonne Université, FR
| | | | | | - Bhedita Jaya Seewoo
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
| | | | - John J. Stegeman
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | - William Suk
- Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, US
| | | | - Hideshige Takada
- Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JP
| | | | | | - Zhanyun Wang
- Technology and Society Laboratory, WEmpa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials and Technology, CH
| | - Ella Whitman
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | - Aroub K. Yousuf
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Sarah Dunlop
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
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Hu C, Liu B, Wang S, Zhu Z, Adcock A, Simpkins J, Li X. Spatiotemporal Correlation Analysis of Hydraulic Fracturing and Stroke in the United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10817. [PMID: 36078531 PMCID: PMC9518207 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking has led to a rapid growth of oil and gas production in the United States, but the impact of fracking on public health is an important but underresearched topic. We designed a methodology to study spatiotemporal correlations between the risk of fracking and stroke mortality. An annualized loss expectancy (ALE) model is applied to quantify the risk of fracking. The geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model is used to analyze spatiotemporal correlations of stroke mortality, fracking ALE, and nine other socioeconomic- and health-related factors. The analysis shows that fracking ALE is moderately correlated with stroke mortality at ages over 65 in most states of fracking, in addition to cardiovascular disease and drug overdose being positively correlated with stroke mortality. Furthermore, the correlations between fracking ALE and stroke mortality in men appear to be higher than in women near the Marcellus Shale, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia, while stroke mortality among women is concentrated in the Great Plains, including Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Lastly, within two kilometers of the fracking mining activity, the level of benzene in the air was found to be significantly correlated with the fracking activity in Colorado.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanbo Hu
- Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Management Information Systems, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zhenduo Zhu
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Amelia Adcock
- Department of Neurology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - James Simpkins
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
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Drivers, barriers and practices of net zero economy: An exploratory knowledge based supply chain multi-stakeholder perspective framework. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12063-022-00255-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Willis M, Hystad P, Denham A, Hill E. Natural gas development, flaring practices and paediatric asthma hospitalizations in Texas. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 49:1883-1896. [PMID: 32879945 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaa115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advancements in drilling technology led to a rapid increase in natural gas development (NGD). Air pollution may be elevated in these areas and may vary by drilling type (conventional and unconventional), production volume and gas flaring. Impacts of NGD on paediatric asthma are largely unknown. This study quantifies associations between specific NGD activities and paediatric asthma hospitalizations in Texas. METHODS We leveraged a database of Texas inpatient hospitalizations between 2000 and 2010 at the zip code level by quarter to examine associations between NGD and paediatric asthma hospitalizations, where our primary outcome is 0 vs ≥1 hospitalization. We used quarterly production reports to assess additional drilling-specific exposures at the zip code-level including drilling type, production and gas flaring. We developed logistic regression models to assess paediatric asthma hospitalizations by zip code-quarter-year observations, thus capturing spatiotemporal exposure patterns. RESULTS We observed increased odds of ≥1 paediatric asthma hospitalization in a zip code per quarter associated with increasing tertiles of NGD exposure and show that spatiotemporal variation impacts results. Conventional drilling, compared with no drilling, is associated with odds ratios up to 1.23 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 1.34], whereas unconventional drilling is associated with odds ratios up to 1.59 (95% CI: 1.46, 1.73). Increasing production volumes are associated with increased paediatric asthma hospitalizations in an exposure-response relationship, whereas associations with flaring volumes are inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence of associations between paediatric asthma hospitalizations and NGD, regardless of drilling type. Practices related to production volume may be driving these positive associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Willis
- School of Biological & Population Health, College of Public Health & Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Perry Hystad
- School of Biological & Population Health, College of Public Health & Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Alina Denham
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Elaine Hill
- School of Biological & Population Health, College of Public Health & Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.,Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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Tang IW, Langlois PH, Vieira VM. Birth defects and unconventional natural gas developments in Texas, 1999-2011. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 194:110511. [PMID: 33245885 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Unconventional natural gas developments (UNGD) may release air and water pollutants into the environment, potentially increasing the risk of birth defects. We conducted a case-control study evaluating 52,955 cases with birth defects and 642,399 controls born between 1999 and 2011 to investigate the relationship between UNGD exposure and the risk of gastroschisis, congenital heart defects (CHD), neural tube defects (NTDs), and orofacial clefts in Texas. We calculated UNGD densities (number of UNGDs per area) within 1, 3, and 7.5 km of maternal address at birth and categorized exposure by density tertiles. For CHD subtypes with large case numbers, we also performed time-stratified analyses to examine temporal trends. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association with UNGD exposure, accounting for maternal characteristics and neighborhood factors. We also included a bivariable smooth of geocoded maternal location in an additive model to account for unmeasured spatially varying risk factors. Positive associations were observed between the highest tertile of UNGD density within 1 km of maternal address and risk of anencephaly (aOR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.55, 3.86), spina bifida (aOR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.99), gastroschisis among older mothers (aOR: 3.19, 95% CI: 1.77, 5.73), aortic valve stenosis (aOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.33, 2.71), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (aOR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.39, 2.86), and pulmonary valve atresia or stenosis (aOR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.66). For CHD subtypes, results did not differ substantially by distance from maternal address or when residual confounding was considered, except for atrial septal defects. We did not observe associations with orofacial clefts. Our results suggest that UNGDs were associated with some CHDs and possibly NTDs. In addition, we identified temporal trends and observed presence of spatial residual confounding for some CHDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian W Tang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Peter H Langlois
- Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Verónica M Vieira
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, USA
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Elser H, Goldman-Mellor S, Morello-Frosch R, Deziel NC, Ranjbar K, Casey JA. Petro-riskscapes and environmental distress in West Texas: Community perceptions of environmental degradation, threats, and loss. ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE 2020; 70:101798. [PMID: 33072520 PMCID: PMC7566653 DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2020.101798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) expanded rapidly in the United States between 2004-2019 with resultant industrial change to landscapes and new environmental exposures. By 2019, West Texas' Permian Basin accounted for 35% of domestic oil production. We conducted an online survey of 566 Texans in 2019 to examine the implications of UOGD using three measures from the Environmental Distress Scale (EDS): perceived threat of environmental issues, felt impact of environmental change, and loss of solace when valued environments are transformed ("solastalgia"). We found increased levels of environmental distress among respondents living in counties in the Permian Basin who reported a 2.75% increase in perceived threat of environmental issues (95% CI = -1.14, 6.65) and a 4.21% increase in solastalgia (95% CI = 0.03, 8.40). In our subgroup analysis of women, we found higher EDS subscale scores among respondents in Permian Basin counties for perceived threat of environmental issues (4.08%, 95% CI= -0.12, 8.37) and solastalgia (7.09%, 95% CI= 2.44, 11.88). In analysis restricted to Permian Basin counties, we found exposure to at least one earthquake of magnitude ≥ 3 was associated with increases in perceived threat of environmental issues (4.69%, 95% CI = 0.15, 9.23), and that county-level exposure to oil and gas injection wells was associated with increases in felt impact (4.38%, 95% CI = -1.77, 10.54) and solastalgia (4.06%, 95% CI = 3.02, 11.14). Our results indicate increased environmental distress in response to UOGD-related environmental degradation among Texans and highlight the importance of considering susceptible sub-groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Elser
- Stanford Medical School, Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences
| | | | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environment, Science, Policy and Management & School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Nicole C Deziel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health
| | - Kelsey Ranjbar
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Joan A Casey
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, Rm 1206, New York NY 10032-3727
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Mullen KR, Rivera BN, Tidwell LG, Ivanek R, Anderson KA, Ainsworth DM. Environmental surveillance and adverse neonatal health outcomes in foals born near unconventional natural gas development activity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 731:138497. [PMID: 32434096 PMCID: PMC7430053 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Studies of neonatal health risks of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) have not included comprehensive assessments of environmental chemical exposures. We investigated a clustering of dysphagic cases in neonatal foals born between 2014 and 2016 in an area of active UNGD in Pennsylvania (PA),USA. We evaluated equine biological data and environmental exposures on the affected PA farm and an unaffected New York (NY) farm owned by the same proprietor. Dams either spent their entire gestation on one farm or moved to the other farm in late gestation. Over the 21-month study period, physical examinations and blood/tissue samples were obtained from mares and foals on each farm. Grab samples of water, pasture soil and feed were collected; continuous passive sampling of air and water for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was performed. Dysphagia was evaluated as a binary variable; logistic regression was used to identify risk factors. Sixty-five foals were born, 17 (all from PA farm) were dysphagic. Odds of dysphagia increased with the dam residing on the PA farm for each additional month of gestation (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.2, 1.7, p = 6.0E-04). Males were more likely to be born dysphagic (OR = 5.5, 95% CI 1.2, 24.5, p = 0.03) than females. Prior to installation of a water filtration/treatment system, PA water concentrations of 3,6-dimethylphenanthrene (p = 6.0E-03), fluoranthene (p = 0.03), pyrene (p = 0.02) and triphenylene (p = 0.01) exceeded those in NY water. Compared to NY farm water, no concentrations of PAHs were higher in PA following installation of the water filtration/treatment system. We provide evidence of an uncommon adverse health outcome (dysphagia) in foals born near UNGD that was eliminated in subsequent years (2017-2019) following environmental management changes. Notably, this study demonstrates that domestic large animals such as horses can serve as important sentinels for human health risks associated with UNGD activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Mullen
- Littleton Equine Medical Center, 8025 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton, CO 80120, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, Tower Rd., College of Veterinary Medicine-Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Brianna N Rivera
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Agricultural Life Sciences, Room 1007, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - Lane G Tidwell
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Agricultural Life Sciences, Room 1007, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - Renata Ivanek
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Tower Rd., College of Veterinary Medicine-Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Kim A Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Agricultural Life Sciences, Room 1007, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - Dorothy M Ainsworth
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Tower Rd., College of Veterinary Medicine-Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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9
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Cushing LJ, Vavra-Musser K, Chau K, Franklin M, Johnston JE. Flaring from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development and Birth Outcomes in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:77003. [PMID: 32673511 PMCID: PMC7362742 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies suggest exposure to oil and gas development (OGD) adversely affects birth outcomes, but no studies have examined flaring-the open combustion of natural gas-from OGD. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether residential proximity to flaring from OGD was associated with shorter gestation and reduced fetal growth in the Eagle Ford Shale of south Texas. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative birth records from 2012 to 2015 (N=23,487) and satellite observations of flaring activity during pregnancy within 5km of maternal residence. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate associations between four outcomes (preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, continuous gestational age, and term birthweight) and exposure to a low (1-9) or high (≥10) number of nightly flare events, as compared with no exposure, while controlling for known maternal risk factors. We also examined associations with the number of oil and gas wells within 5km using data from DrillingInfo (now Enverus). RESULTS Exposure to a high number of nightly flare events was associated with a 50% higher odds of preterm birth [odds ratio (OR)=1.50 (95% CI: 1.23, 1.83)] and shorter gestation [mean difference=-1.9 (95% CI: -2.8, -0.9) d] compared with no exposure. Effect estimates were slightly reduced after adjustment for the number of wells within 5km. In stratified models these associations were present only among Hispanic women. Flaring and fetal growth outcomes were not significantly associated. Women exposed to a high number of wells (fourth quartile, ≥27) vs. no wells within 5km had a higher odds of preterm birth [OR=1.31 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.49)], shorter gestation [-1.3 (95% CI: -1.9, -0.8) d], and lower average birthweight [-19.4 (95% CI: -36.7, -2.0) g]. DISCUSSION Our study suggests exposure to flaring from OGD is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Our findings need to be confirmed in other populations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6394.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara J Cushing
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kate Vavra-Musser
- Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Khang Chau
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Meredith Franklin
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jill E Johnston
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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10
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McElroy JA, Kassotis CD, Nagel SC. In Our Backyard: Perceptions About Fracking, Science, and Health by Community Members. New Solut 2020; 30:42-51. [PMID: 32028857 DOI: 10.1177/1048291120905097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction (fracking) has increased in the United States, as well as interest in the associated risks and benefits. This study’s purpose was to qualitatively examine residents’ perceptions about UOG development in their community. Fifteen interviewees involving residents of Garfield County, Colorado, a drilling-dense region, were transcribed and analyzed. The study found six themes: (1) health concerns, both human and animal, (2) power struggles between government and industry/between industry and residents, and (3) perception and some acceptance of increased risk. Less common themes were (4) reliance on science to accurately determine risk, (5) frustration with potential threat and loss of power, and (6) traffic and safety concerns. Community perceptions of UOG development are complex, and understanding the position of community members can support the need for additional public health research and impact assessments regarding community exposures from UOG drilling operation exposures.
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Shanafield M, Cook PG, Simmons CT. Towards Quantifying the Likelihood of Water Resource Impacts from Unconventional Gas Development. GROUND WATER 2019; 57:547-561. [PMID: 30159905 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gas production from unconventional reservoirs has led to widespread environmental concerns. Despite several excellent reviews of various potential impacts to water resources from unconventional gas production, no study has systematically and quantitatively assessed the potential for these impacts to occur. We use empirical evidence and numerical and analytical models to quantify the likelihood of surface water and groundwater contamination, and shallow aquifer depletion from unconventional gas developments. These likelihoods are not intended to be exact. They provide a starting point for comparing the probabilities of adverse impacts between types of water resources and pathways. This analysis provides much needed insight into what are "probable" rather than simply "possible" impacts. The results suggest that the most likely water resource impacts are surface water and groundwater contamination from spills at the well pad, which can be as high as 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 for each gas well, respectively. For wells that are hydraulically fractured, the likelihood of contamination due to inter-aquifer leakage is 1 in 106 or lower (dependent on the separation distance between the production formation and the aquifer). For gas-bearing formations that were initially over-pressurized, the potential for contamination from inter-aquifer leakage after production ceases could be as high as 1 in 400 where the separation between gas formation and shallow aquifer is 500 m, but will be much lower for greater separation distances (more characteristic of shale gas).
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Shanafield
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Peter G Cook
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Craig T Simmons
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
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12
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Exploring the Place of Animals and Human–Animal Relationships in Hydraulic Fracturing Discourse. SOCIAL SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci8020061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout human history, energy security has been a prominent concern. Historically, animals were used as energy providers and as companions and sentinels in mining operations. While animals are seldom used for these purposes in developed communities today, this legacy of use is likely to have far-reaching consequences for how animals and human–animal relationships are acknowledged in energy development. The US is currently experiencing an energy boom in the form of high volume horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (HVHHF); because animals are the most at risk from this boom, this study uses a thorough content analysis of peer-reviewed HVHHF articles mentioning animals from 2012–2018 to assess how animals and human–animal relationships are discussed. Three dominant article theme classifications emerge: animal-focused articles, animal-observant articles, and animal sentinel articles. Across themes, articles seldom acknowledge the inherent value or the social and psychological importance of animals in human lives; instead, the focus is almost exclusively on the use of animals as sentinels for potential human health risks. Further, what is nearly absent from this body of literature is any social science research. Given that relationships with animals are an integral part of human existence, this study applies environmental justice principles, serving as a call to action for social science scholars to address the impacts of HVHHF on animals and human–animal relationships.
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13
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Denham A, Willis M, Zavez A, Hill E. Unconventional natural gas development and hospitalizations: evidence from Pennsylvania, United States, 2003-2014. Public Health 2019; 168:17-25. [PMID: 30677623 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine relationships between short-term and long-term exposures to unconventional natural gas development, commonly known as fracking, and county hospitalization rates for a variety of broad disease categories. STUDY DESIGN This is an ecological study based on county-level data for Pennsylvania, United States, 2003-2014. METHODS We estimated multivariate regressions with county and year fixed effects, using two 12-year panels: all 67 Pennsylvania counties and 54 counties that are not large metropolitan. RESULTS After correcting for multiple comparisons, we found a positive association of cumulative well density (per km2) with genitourinary hospitalization rates. When large metropolitan counties were excluded, this relationship persisted, and positive associations of skin-related hospitalization rates with cumulative well count and well density were observed. The association with genitourinary hospitalization rates is driven by females in 20-64 years group, particularly for kidney infections, calculus of ureter, and urinary tract infection. Contemporaneous wells drilled were not significantly associated with hospitalizations after adjustment for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that long-term exposure to unconventional gas development may have an impact on prevalence of hospitalizations for certain diseases in the affected populations and identifies areas of future research on unconventional gas development and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Denham
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, 265 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY, 14642, United States
| | - M Willis
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, United States
| | - A Zavez
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, United States
| | - E Hill
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, 265 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY, 14642, United States.
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14
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Santos IC, Hildenbrand ZL, Schug KA. A Review of Analytical Methods for Characterizing the Potential Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development. Anal Chem 2018; 91:689-703. [PMID: 30392348 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inês C Santos
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The University of Texas at Arlington , 700 Planetarium Place , Arlington , Texas 76019 , United States.,Affiliate of Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation , The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , Texas 76019 , United States
| | - Zacariah L Hildenbrand
- Affiliate of Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation , The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , Texas 76019 , United States.,Inform Environmental, LLC , 6060 N. Central Expressway, Suite 500 , Dallas , Texas 75206 , United States
| | - Kevin A Schug
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The University of Texas at Arlington , 700 Planetarium Place , Arlington , Texas 76019 , United States.,Affiliate of Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation , The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington , Texas 76019 , United States
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15
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Goldstein BD. The pertinence of Sutton's law to exposure science: Lessons from unconventional shale gas drilling. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2018; 28:427-436. [PMID: 29302044 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-017-0015-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sutton's Law urges the medical practitioner to utilize the test that goes directly to the problem. When applied to exposure science, Sutton's Law would argue that the major emphasis should be on techniques that directly measure exposure in or close to the human, animal or ecosystem receptors of concern. Exposure science largely and appropriately violates Sutton's Law by estimating exposure based on information on emissions or measurements obtained at a distance from the receptors of concern. I suggest four criteria to help determine whether Sutton's law should be violated for an innovative technology, and explore these criteria in relation to potential human exposure resulting from unconventional gas drilling (UGD): (1) The technological processes possibly leading to release of the chemical or physical agents of concern are reasonably understood; (2) the agents of concern are known; (3) the source and geographical location of the releases can be reasonably identified; and (4) there is information about the likely temporal pattern of the releases and resulting pollutant levels in relation to the temporal patterns of receptor susceptibility. For UGD, the complexity of the technology including many possible release points at different time periods; the existence of three variable mixtures of chemical and physical agents as well as possible unknown reactants; the demonstrated large variation in releases from site to site; and deficiencies in transparency and regulatory oversight, all suggest that studies of the potential health impact of UGD should follow Sutton's Law. This includes the use of techniques that more directly measure exposure close to or within the receptors of concern, such as biological markers or through community-based citizen science. Understanding the implications of Sutton's Law could help focus scientific and regulatory efforts on effective approaches to evaluate the potential health and ecosystem implications of new and evolving technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard D Goldstein
- University of Pittsburgh-Environmental and Occupational Health, 130 DeSoto Street A710 Crabtree Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
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16
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Hill EL. Shale gas development and infant health: Evidence from Pennsylvania. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2018; 61:134-150. [PMID: 30114565 PMCID: PMC6629042 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This research exploits the introduction of shale gas wells in Pennsylvania in response to growing controversy around the drilling method of hydraulic fracturing. Using detailed location data on maternal addresses and GIS coordinates of gas wells, this study examines singleton births to mothers residing close to a shale gas well from 2003 to 2010 in Pennsylvania. The introduction of drilling increased low birth weight and decreased term birth weight on average among mothers living within 2.5 km of a well compared to mothers living within 2.5 km of a permitted well. Adverse effects were also detected using measures such as small for gestational age and APGAR scores, while no effects on gestation periods were found. In the intensive margin, an additional well is associated with a 7 percent increase in low birth weight, a 5 g reduction in term birth weight and a 3 percent increase in premature birth. These results are robust to other measures of infant health, many changes in specification and falsification tests. These findings suggest that shale gas development poses significant risks to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine L Hill
- University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine & Dentistry, 265 Crittenden Blvd Box 420644, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
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17
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Li E, Jie K, Zhou Y, Zhao R, Zhang B, Wang Q, Liu J, Huang F. Aliphatic Aldehyde Detection and Adsorption by Nonporous Adaptive Pillar[4]arene[1]quinone Crystals with Vapochromic Behavior. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:23147-23153. [PMID: 29916689 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b06396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The detection and adsorption of volatile low-molecular-weight aliphatic aldehydes is of significance, owing to their physical volatility, chemical toxicity, and widespread applications in chemical industrial processes. Here, nonporous adaptive pillar[4]arene[1]quinone (EtP4Q1) crystals with vapochromic behavior are used for the volatile aliphatic aldehyde uptake and sensing. When desolvated EtP4Q1 crystals (EtP4Q1α) are exposed to aliphatic aldehydes with different carbon chain lengths, they quantitatively adsorb vapors of these aldehydes, accompanied by different color changes. Crystal structure analyses show that the structure of EtP4Q1 transforms from EtP4Q1α into the corresponding new structures after the adsorption of these aldehydes, which leads to different color changes. The selectivity of EtP4Q1α crystals, which function as both sensors and adsorbents upon exposure to mixed aldehyde vapors, is also explored. Finally, it is demonstrated that EtP4Q1α crystals can be recycled many times without loss of performance.
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18
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Clancy SA, Worrall F, Davies RJ, Gluyas JG. The potential for spills and leaks of contaminated liquids from shale gas developments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 626:1463-1473. [PMID: 29455843 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Rapid growth of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas within the USA and the possibility of shale developments within Europe has created public concern about the risks of spills and leaks associated with the industry. Reports from the Texas Railroad Commission (1999 to 2015) and the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission (2009 to 2015) were used to examine spill rates from oil and gas well pads. Pollution incident records for England and road transport incident data for the UK were examined as an analogue for potential offsite spills associated with transport for a developing shale industry. The Texas and Colorado spill data shows that the spill rate on the well pads has increased over the recorded time period. The most common spill cause was equipment failure. Within Colorado 33% of the spills recorded were found during well pad remediation and random site inspections. Based on data from the Texas Railroad Commission, a UK shale industry developing well pads with 10 lateral wells would likely experience a spill for every 16 well pads developed. The same well pad development scenario is estimated to require at least 2856 tanker movements over two years per well pad. Considering this tanker movement estimate with incident and spill frequency data from UK milk tankers, a UK shale industry would likely experience an incident on the road for every 12 well pads developed and a road spill for every 19 well pads developed. Consequently, should a UK shale industry be developed it is important that appropriate mitigation strategies are in place to minimise the risk of spills associated with well pad activities and fluid transportation movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Clancy
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - F Worrall
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - R J Davies
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
| | - J G Gluyas
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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20
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Rish WR, Pfau EJ. Bounding Analysis of Drinking Water Health Risks from a Spill of Hydraulic Fracturing Flowback Water. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2018; 38:724-754. [PMID: 28973831 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A bounding risk assessment is presented that evaluates possible human health risk from a hypothetical scenario involving a 10,000-gallon release of flowback water from horizontal fracturing of Marcellus Shale. The water is assumed to be spilled on the ground, infiltrates into groundwater that is a source of drinking water, and an adult and child located downgradient drink the groundwater. Key uncertainties in estimating risk are given explicit quantitative treatment using Monte Carlo analysis. Chemicals that contribute significantly to estimated health risks are identified, as are key uncertainties and variables to which risk estimates are sensitive. The results show that hypothetical exposure via drinking water impacted by chemicals in Marcellus Shale flowback water, assumed to be spilled onto the ground surface, results in predicted bounds between 10-10 and 10-6 (for both adult and child receptors) for excess lifetime cancer risk. Cumulative hazard indices (HICUMULATIVE ) resulting from these hypothetical exposures have predicted bounds (5th to 95th percentile) between 0.02 and 35 for assumed adult receptors and 0.1 and 146 for assumed child receptors. Predicted health risks are dominated by noncancer endpoints related to ingestion of barium and lithium in impacted groundwater. Hazard indices above unity are largely related to exposure to lithium. Salinity taste thresholds are likely to be exceeded before drinking water exposures result in adverse health effects. The findings provide focus for policy discussions concerning flowback water risk management. They also indicate ways to improve the ability to estimate health risks from drinking water impacted by a flowback water spill (i.e., reducing uncertainty).
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21
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Webb E, Moon J, Dyrszka L, Rodriguez B, Cox C, Patisaul H, Bushkin S, London E. Neurodevelopmental and neurological effects of chemicals associated with unconventional oil and natural gas operations and their potential effects on infants and children. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2018; 33:3-29. [PMID: 29068792 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2017-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals (arsenic and manganese), particulate matter (PM), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been linked to significant neurodevelopmental health problems in infants, children and young adults. These substances are widely used in, or become byproducts of unconventional oil and natural gas (UOG) development and operations. Every stage of the UOG lifecycle, from well construction to extraction, operations, transportation and distribution can lead to air and water contamination. Residents near UOG operations can suffer from increased exposure to elevated concentrations of air and water pollutants. Here we focus on five air and water pollutants that have been associated with potentially permanent learning and neuropsychological deficits, neurodevelopmental disorders and neurological birth defects. Given the profound sensitivity of the developing brain and central nervous system, it is reasonable to conclude that young children who experience frequent exposure to these pollutants are at particularly high risk for chronic neurological diseases. More research is needed to understand the extent of these concerns in the context of UOG, but since UOG development has expanded rapidly in recent years, the need for public health prevention techniques, well-designed studies and stronger state and national regulatory standards is becoming increasingly apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Webb
- Center for Environmental Health, 2201 Broadway, Suite 302, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
| | | | - Larysa Dyrszka
- Physicians for Social Responsibility, Glen Spey, NY, USA
| | | | - Caroline Cox
- Center for Environmental Health, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Heather Patisaul
- North Carolina State University College of Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sheila Bushkin
- Institute for Health and the Environment, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Eric London
- Institute for Basic Research, New York, NY, USA
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Saunders PJ, McCoy D, Goldstein R, Saunders AT, Munroe A. A review of the public health impacts of unconventional natural gas development. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2018; 40:1-57. [PMID: 27921191 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-016-9898-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The public health impact of hydraulic fracturing remains a high profile and controversial issue. While there has been a recent surge of published papers, it remains an under-researched area despite being possibly the most substantive change in energy production since the advent of the fossil fuel economy. We review the evidence of effects in five public health domains with a particular focus on the UK: exposure, health, socio-economic, climate change and seismicity. While the latter would seem not to be of significance for the UK, we conclude that serious gaps in our understanding of the other potential impacts persist together with some concerning signals in the literature and legitimate uncertainties derived from first principles. There is a fundamental requirement for high-quality epidemiological research incorporating real exposure measures, improved understanding of methane leakage throughout the process, and a rigorous analysis of the UK social and economic impacts. In the absence of such intelligence, we consider it prudent to incentivise further research and delay any proposed developments in the UK. Recognising the political realities of the planning and permitting process, we make a series of recommendations to protect public health in the event of hydraulic fracturing being approved in the UK.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Saunders
- University of Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
| | - D McCoy
- Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - R Goldstein
- West Midlands Public Health Training Scheme, Birmingham, UK
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Dai J, Vu D, Nagel S, Lin CH, Fidalgo de Cortalezzi M. Colloidal crystal templated molecular imprinted polymer for the detection of 2-butoxyethanol in water contaminated by hydraulic fracturing. Mikrochim Acta 2017; 185:32. [PMID: 29594420 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-017-2590-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The authors describe a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) that enables detection of 2-butoxyethanol (2BE), a pollutant associated with hydraulic fracturing contamination. Detection is based on a combination of a colloidal crystal templating and a molecular imprinting. The MIPs are shown to display higher binding capacity for 2BE compared to non-imprinted films (NIPs), with imprinting efficiencies of ∼ 2. The tests rely on the optical effects that are displayed by the uniformly ordered porous structure of the material. The reflectance spectra of the polymer films have characteristic Bragg peaks whose location varies with the concentration of 2BE. Peaks undergo longwave red shifts up to 50 nm on exposure of the MIP to 2BE in concentrations in the range from 1 ppb to 100 ppm. This allows for quantitative estimates of the 2BE concentrations present in aqueous solutions. The material is intended for use in the early detection of contamination at hydraulic fracturing sites. Graphical abstract Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) sensor with the sensing ability on reflectance spectra responding to the presence of 2-butoxyethanol (2BE) for early detection of hydraulic fracking contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Dai
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri, E2509 Lafferre Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Danh Vu
- The Center of Agroforestry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Susan Nagel
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Chung-Ho Lin
- The Center of Agroforestry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Maria Fidalgo de Cortalezzi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri, E2509 Lafferre Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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Hedayatipour M, Jaafarzadeh N, Ahmadmoazzam M. Removal optimization of heavy metals from effluent of sludge dewatering process in oil and gas well drilling by nanofiltration. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017; 203:151-156. [PMID: 28783011 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.07.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Oil and gas well drilling industries discharge large volumes of contaminated wastewater produced during oil and gas exploration process. In this study, the effect of different operational variables, including temperature, pH and transmembrane pressure on process performance of a commercially available nanofiltration membrane (JCM-1812-50N, USA) for removing Ba, Ni, Cr, NaCl and TDS from produced wastewater by dewatering unit of an oil and gas well drilling industry was evaluated. In optimum experimental conditions (T = 25 °C, P = 170 psi and pH = 4) resulted from Thaguchi method, 85.3, 77.4, 58.5, 79.6 and 56.3% removal efficiencies were achieved for Ba, Ni, Cr, NaCl and TDS, respectively. Also, results from a comparison of the Schuller and Wilcox diagrams revealed that the effluent of the membrane system is usable for drinking water, irrigating and agriculture purposes. Moreover, the process effluent quality showed a scaling feature, according to Langelier saturation index and illustrated that the necessary proceedings should be taken to prevent scaling for industrial application. The nanofiltration membrane process with an acceptable recovery rate of 47.17% represented a good performance in the wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Hedayatipour
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Mahshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahshahr, Iran
| | - Neemat Jaafarzadeh
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Ahmadmoazzam
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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McGranahan DA, Fernando FN, Kirkwood MLE. Reflections on a boom: Perceptions of energy development impacts in the Bakken oil patch inform environmental science & policy priorities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 599-600:1993-2018. [PMID: 28558422 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems worldwide have been subject to new or intensified energy development facilitated by technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, activity that has generated concern for air, water, biotic, and social resources. Application of these technologies in the development of the Bakken oil patch has made it one of the most productive petroleum plays in North America, causing unprecedented landscape industrialization of otherwise rural, agricultural counties in western North Dakota. The region is isolated, and development impacts have not been well-studied. To identify concerns of citizens of the Bakken and determine how research and policy might support them, we conducted a two-part study: First, we held focus groups with resource management and community leaders in three major oil-producing counties. Second, we used an outline of the major concerns expressed by focus group members as a survey for landowners and farm/ranch operators. We found little relationship between survey respondents' reported categorization of energy impacts and actual land area impacted, suggesting factors such as attitude towards development, degree of compensation, and level of disturbance are relevant. Landowners agreed with focus groups on the nature of relationships between energy companies and locals and development impacts on infrastructure and communities; those reporting greater impacts tended to agree more strongly. But many specific problems described in focus groups were not widely reported in the survey, suggesting energy-community relationships can be improved through state-level public policy and respect from energy companies for locals and their way of life. Consideration of these concerns in future energy policy-both in the Bakken and worldwide-could reduce social tension, lessen environmental impact, and increase overall social, economic, and environmental efficiency in energy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devan Allen McGranahan
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Science Program, 201D Morrill Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA.
| | - Felix N Fernando
- Hanley Sustainability Institute, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Meghan L E Kirkwood
- Department of Visual Arts, Renaissance Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA
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26
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Ramirez MI, Arevalo AP, Sotomayor S, Bailon-Moscoso N. Contamination by oil crude extraction - Refinement and their effects on human health. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 231:415-425. [PMID: 28826075 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The harmful effects of oil on various species of flora and fauna have been studied extensively; however, few studies have studied the effects of oil exposure on human health. The objective of this research was to collect information on the acute health effects and serious psychological symptoms of the possible consequences of such exposure to crude oil. Some studies focused on the composition of different chemicals used in the extraction process, and wastes generated proved to be highly harmful to human health. Thus, studies have shown that individuals who live near oil fields or wells - or who take part in activities of cleaning oil spills - have presented health conditions, such as irritation to the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, kidney damage, liver, reproductive, among others. In Ecuador, this reality is not different from other countries, and some studies have shown increased diseases related with oil crude and oil spills, like skin irritation, throat, liver, lung, infertility, and abortions, and it has been linked to childhood leukemia. Other studies suggest a direct relationship between DNA damage because of oil resulting in a genetic instability of the main enzymes of cellular metabolism as well as a relationship with some cancers, such as leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabel Ramirez
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
| | - Ana Paulina Arevalo
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
| | - Santiago Sotomayor
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
| | - Natalia Bailon-Moscoso
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
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Currie J, Greenstone M, Meckel K. Hydraulic fracturing and infant health: New evidence from Pennsylvania. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1603021. [PMID: 29242825 PMCID: PMC5729015 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1603021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The development of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") is considered the biggest change to the global energy production system in the last half-century. However, several communities have banned fracking because of unresolved concerns about the impact of this process on human health. To evaluate the potential health impacts of fracking, we analyzed records of more than 1.1 million births in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2013, comparing infants born to mothers living at different distances from active fracking sites and those born both before and after fracking was initiated at each site. We adjusted for fixed maternal determinants of infant health by comparing siblings who were and were not exposed to fracking sites in utero. We found evidence for negative health effects of in utero exposure to fracking sites within 3 km of a mother's residence, with the largest health impacts seen for in utero exposure within 1 km of fracking sites. Negative health impacts include a greater incidence of low-birth weight babies as well as significant declines in average birth weight and in several other measures of infant health. There is little evidence for health effects at distances beyond 3 km, suggesting that health impacts of fracking are highly local. Informal estimates suggest that about 29,000 of the nearly 4 million annual U.S. births occur within 1 km of an active fracking site and that these births therefore may be at higher risk of poor birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Currie
- Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Michael Greenstone
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Katherine Meckel
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
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Psychosocial Impact of Fracking: a Review of the Literature on the Mental Health Consequences of Hydraulic Fracturing. Int J Ment Health Addict 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-017-9792-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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Zhai J, Huang Z, Rahaman MH, Li Y, Mei L, Ma H, Hu X, Xiao H, Luo Z, Wang K. Comparison of coagulation pretreatment of produced water from natural gas well by polyaluminium chloride and polyferric sulphate coagulants. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2017; 38:1200-1210. [PMID: 27460889 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2016.1217937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to optimise coagulation pretreatment of the produced water (PW) collected from a natural gas field. Two coagulants, polyferric sulphate (PFS) and polyaluminium chloride (PACl), were applied separately for the organics, suspended solids (SS), and colour removal. Treatment performance at different coagulant dosages, initial pH values, stirring patterns, and the addition of cationic polyacrylamide (PAM) was investigated in jar tests. The optimal coagulation conditions were dosage of PACl 25 g/L or PFS 20 g/L with that of PAM 30 mg/L, initial pH of 11, and fast mixing of 1.5 min (for PACl) or 2 min (for PFS) at 250 rpm followed by slow mixing of 15 min at 50 rpm for both coagulants. PACl performed better than PFS to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), SS, and colour, and achieved a removal efficiency of 90.1%, 89.4%, 99.0%, and 99.9%, respectively, under the optimal condition; while PFS efficiency was 86.1%, 86.1%, 99.0%, and 98.2%, respectively. However, oil removal was higher in PFS coagulation compared to PACl and showed 98.9% and 95.3%, respectively. Biodegradability, ratio of the biological oxygen demand (five-day) (BOD5)/COD, of the PW after pretreatment increased from 0.08 to 0.32 for PFS and 0.43 for PACl. Zeta potential (Z-potential) analysis at the optimum coagulant dosage of PACl and PFS suggests that charge neutralisation was the predominant mechanism during coagulation. Better efficiency was observed at higher pH. The addition of PAM and starring pattern had a minor influence on the removal performance of both coagulants. The results suggest that PACl or PFS can be applied for the pretreatment of PW, which can provide substantial removal of carbon, oil, and colour, a necessary first step for subsequent main treatment units such as chemical oxidation or biological treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhai
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Zejin Huang
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Md Hasibur Rahaman
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Li
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Longyue Mei
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Hongpu Ma
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Xuebin Hu
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Haiwen Xiao
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyong Luo
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
| | - Kunping Wang
- a Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment , Chongqing University , Chongqing , People's Republic of China
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Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: Addressing the Societal Costs of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration and Production: A Framework for Evaluating Short-Term, Future, and Cumulative Risks and Uncertainties of Hydrofracking. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1017/s1466046612000336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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31
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Esterhuyse S, Avenant M, Redelinghuys N, Kijko A, Glazewski J, Plit L, Kemp M, Smit A, Vos AT, Williamson R. A review of biophysical and socio-economic effects of unconventional oil and gas extraction - Implications for South Africa. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 184:419-430. [PMID: 27742153 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.09.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The impacts associated with unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction will be cumulative in nature and will most likely occur on a regional scale, highlighting the importance of using strategic decision-making and management tools. Managing possible impacts responsibly is extremely important in a water scarce country such as South Africa, versus countries where more water may be available for UOG extraction activities. This review article explains the possible biophysical and socio-economic impacts associated with UOG extraction within the South African context and how these complex impacts interlink. Relevant policy and governance frameworks to manage these impacts are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surina Esterhuyse
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
| | - Marinda Avenant
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Nola Redelinghuys
- Department of Sociology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Andrzej Kijko
- University of Pretoria Natural Hazard Centre, Africa, University of Pretoria, Department of Geology, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Jan Glazewski
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, University of Cape Town, Pvt Bag X 3, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lisa Plit
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, University of Cape Town, Pvt Bag X 3, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marthie Kemp
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Ansie Smit
- University of Pretoria Natural Hazard Centre, Africa, University of Pretoria, Department of Geology, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - A Tascha Vos
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Richard Williamson
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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32
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Konkel L. Salting the Earth: The Environmental Impact of Oil and Gas Wastewater Spills. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:A230-A235. [PMID: 27905276 PMCID: PMC5132645 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.124-a230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
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33
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Influence of Sophorolipid Structure on Interfacial Properties of Aqueous-Arabian Light Crude and Related Constituent Emulsions. J AM OIL CHEM SOC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11746-016-2913-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Wylie S, Schultz K, Thomas D, Kassotis C, Nagel S. Inspiring Collaboration: The Legacy of Theo Colborn's Transdisciplinary Research on Fracking. New Solut 2016; 26:360-388. [PMID: 27624785 DOI: 10.1177/1048291116666037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article describes Dr Theo Colborn's legacy of inspiring complementary and synergistic environmental health research and advocacy. Colborn, a founder of endocrine disruption research, also stimulated study of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). In 2014, the United States led the world in oil and gas production, with fifteen million Americans living within one mile of an oil or gas well. Colborn pioneered efforts to understand and control the impacts of this sea change in energy production. In 2005, her research organization The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) developed a database of chemicals used in natural gas extraction and their health effects. This database stimulated novel scientific and social scientific research and informed advocacy by (1) connecting communities' diverse health impacts to chemicals used in natural gas development, (2) inspiring social science research on open-source software and hardware for citizen science, and (3) posing new scientific questions about the endocrine-disrupting properties of fracking chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Wylie
- 1 Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kim Schultz
- 2 The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Paonia, CO, USA
| | | | - Chris Kassotis
- 4 Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Susan Nagel
- 5 University of Missouri System, Columbia, MO, USA
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35
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Kassotis CD, Bromfield JJ, Klemp KC, Meng CX, Wolfe A, Zoeller RT, Balise VD, Isiguzo CJ, Tillitt DE, Nagel SC. Adverse Reproductive and Developmental Health Outcomes Following Prenatal Exposure to a Hydraulic Fracturing Chemical Mixture in Female C57Bl/6 Mice. Endocrinology 2016; 157:3469-81. [PMID: 27560547 PMCID: PMC5393361 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Unconventional oil and gas operations using hydraulic fracturing can contaminate surface and groundwater with endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We have previously shown that 23 of 24 commonly used hydraulic fracturing chemicals can activate or inhibit the estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, progesterone, and/or thyroid receptors in a human endometrial cancer cell reporter gene assay and that mixtures can behave synergistically, additively, or antagonistically on these receptors. In the current study, pregnant female C57Bl/6 dams were exposed to a mixture of 23 commonly used unconventional oil and gas chemicals at approximately 3, 30, 300, and 3000 μg/kg·d, flutamide at 50 mg/kg·d, or a 0.2% ethanol control vehicle via their drinking water from gestational day 11 through birth. This prenatal exposure to oil and gas operation chemicals suppressed pituitary hormone concentrations across experimental groups (prolactin, LH, FSH, and others), increased body weights, altered uterine and ovary weights, increased heart weights and collagen deposition, disrupted folliculogenesis, and other adverse health effects. This work suggests potential adverse developmental and reproductive health outcomes in humans and animals exposed to these oil and gas operation chemicals, with adverse outcomes observed even in the lowest dose group tested, equivalent to concentrations reported in drinking water sources. These endpoints suggest potential impacts on fertility, as previously observed in the male siblings, which require careful assessment in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Kassotis
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - John J Bromfield
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Kara C Klemp
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Chun-Xia Meng
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Andrew Wolfe
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - R Thomas Zoeller
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Victoria D Balise
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Chiamaka J Isiguzo
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Donald E Tillitt
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Susan C Nagel
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Animal Sciences (J.J.B.) and D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program (J.J.B.), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M.,V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.) and Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; Department of Pediatrics (A.W.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (RTZ), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and United States Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
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Bai L, Jana A, Tham HP, Nguyen KT, Borah P, Zhao Y. Remarkable Vapochromic Behavior of Pure Organic Octahedron Embedded in Porous Frameworks. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2016; 12:3302-3308. [PMID: 27174648 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201600437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Vapochromic behavior is employed to selectively monitor the vapor changes in surrounding environment, particularly for toxic gas leaking and floating detection. Thus, sensitive trapping and accurate response to different toxic vapors are critical factors in vapochromic sensing. In this work, a self-assembled hybrid that consists of fluorescent organic octahedron encapsulated by metal-organic polyhedron (MOP) is reported. The fluorescent octahedron is used as a responsive sensor to probe various solvent vapors, while the MOP is employed as a protector to prevent the corrosion of solvents to the organic octahedron. The hybrid exhibits remarkable vapochromic behavior to different solvents, and shows the highest selectivity and sensitivity specifically to acetone. In addition, acetone vapor under different conditions is utilized for further studying the response mechanism of the hybrid. This work presents a promising vapochromic sensor with good stability, selectivity, and sensitivity. The study is expected to open up the applicability of MOP-based hybrids for specific molecular capture, interim storage, controlled release, and advanced sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyi Bai
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Avijit Jana
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Huijun Phoebe Tham
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Kim Truc Nguyen
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Parijat Borah
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Yanli Zhao
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
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Kassotis CD, Tillitt DE, Lin CH, McElroy JA, Nagel SC. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Oil and Natural Gas Operations: Potential Environmental Contamination and Recommendations to Assess Complex Environmental Mixtures. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:256-64. [PMID: 26311476 PMCID: PMC4786988 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hydraulic fracturing technologies, developed over the last 65 years, have only recently been combined with horizontal drilling to unlock oil and gas reserves previously deemed inaccessible. Although these technologies have dramatically increased domestic oil and natural gas production, they have also raised concerns for the potential contamination of local water supplies with the approximately 1,000 chemicals that are used throughout the process, including many known or suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals. OBJECTIVES We discuss the need for an endocrine component to health assessments for drilling-dense regions in the context of hormonal and antihormonal activities for chemicals used. METHODS We discuss the literature on a) surface and groundwater contamination by oil and gas extraction operations, and b) potential human exposure, particularly in the context of the total hormonal and antihormonal activities present in surface and groundwater from natural and anthropogenic sources; we also discuss initial analytical results and critical knowledge gaps. DISCUSSION In light of the potential for environmental release of oil and gas chemicals that can disrupt hormone receptor systems, we recommend methods for assessing complex hormonally active environmental mixtures. CONCLUSIONS We describe a need for an endocrine-centric component for overall health assessments and provide information supporting the idea that using such a component will help explain reported adverse health trends as well as help develop recommendations for environmental impact assessments and monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Donald E. Tillitt
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Chung-Ho Lin
- Department of Forestry, School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Susan C. Nagel
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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Finkel ML, Hays J, Law A. Unconventional natural gas development and human health: thoughts from the United States. Med J Aust 2016; 203:294-6. [PMID: 26424064 DOI: 10.5694/mja15.00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
If unconventional gas development (UGD) continues to expand in Australia, the potential health and environmental impacts should be adequately addressed and preventive public health measures should be implemented. The United States has embraced UGD and has decades of experience that could be beneficial to Australia as stakeholders debate the potential benefits and harms of the technique. Additional research on the health impacts of UGD is necessary. Baseline and trend morbidity and mortality data need to be collected to assess changes in population health over time. To date, few health or epidemiological studies have been conducted, so it remains difficult to assess actual health outcomes. In the absence of scientific consensus, there are two possible risks: failing to develop unconventional natural gas when the harms are manageable; or developing it when the harms are substantial. Many government bodies around the world have chosen to minimise the risk of the latter until the impacts of UGD are better understood. Policies should be informed by empirical evidence based on actual experience rather than assurance of best practices. There is a strong rationale for precautionary measures based on the health and environmental risks identified in the scientific literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jake Hays
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Adam Law
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
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Popular epidemiology and "fracking": citizens' concerns regarding the economic, environmental, health and social impacts of unconventional natural gas drilling operations. J Community Health 2016; 40:534-41. [PMID: 25392053 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-014-9968-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale, a reservoir of natural gas that was untapped until the 2004 introduction of unconventional natural gas drilling operations (UNGDO) in the state. Colloquially known as fracking, UNGDO is a controversial process that employs large volumes of water to fracture the shale and capture gas; it has become a multi-billion dollar industry in Pennsylvania. We analyzed letters to the editor of the most widely circulated local newspaper in the most heavily drilled county in Pennsylvania (Bradford County) in order to characterize residents' concerns and their involvement in popular epidemiology--the process by which citizens investigate risks associated with a perceived environmental threat. We reviewed 215 letters to the editor that referenced natural gas operations and were published by The Daily Review between January 1, 2008 and June 8, 2013. We used NVivo 10 to code and analyze letters and identify major themes. Nvivo is qualitative data analysis software (http://www.qsrinternational.com/products_nvivo.aspx) that allows researchers to code and analyze "unstructured" data, including text files of any type (e.g., interview transcripts, news articles, letters, archival materials) as well as photographs and videos. Nvivo can be used to classify, sort, query, comment on, and share data across a research group. Letters demonstrated citizen engagement in beginning and intermediate stages of lay epidemiology, as well as discord and stress regarding four main issues: socio-economic impacts, perceived threats to water, population growth and implications, and changes to the rural landscape. Residents called for stronger scientific evidence and a balance of economic development and health and environmental protections. Citizens' distress regarding UNGDO appeared to be exacerbated by a dearth of information to guide economic growth and health, environmental, and social concerns. This analysis proposes locally informed questions to guide future surveillance and research.
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Johnston JE, Werder E, Sebastian D. Wastewater Disposal Wells, Fracking, and Environmental Injustice in Southern Texas. Am J Public Health 2016; 106:550-6. [PMID: 26794166 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2015.303000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate race and poverty in areas where oil and gas wastewater disposal wells, which are used to permanently inject wastewater from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations, are permitted. METHODS With location data of oil and gas disposal wells permitted between 2007 and 2014 in the Eagle Ford area, a region of intensive fracking in southern Texas, we analyzed the racial composition of residents living less than 5 kilometers from a disposal well and those farther away, adjusting for rurality and poverty, using a Poisson regression. RESULTS The proportion of people of color living less than 5 kilometers from a disposal well was 1.3 times higher than was the proportion of non-Hispanic Whites. Adjusting for rurality, disposal wells were 2.04 times (95% confidence interval = 2.02, 2.06) as common in areas with 80% people of color or more than in majority White areas. Disposal wells are also disproportionately sited in high-poverty areas. CONCLUSIONS Wastewater disposal wells in southern Texas are disproportionately permitted in areas with higher proportions of people of color and residents living in poverty, a pattern known as "environmental injustice."
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Johnston
- Jill E. Johnston is with the Division of Environmental Health, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Emily Werder is with the Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Daniel Sebastian is with the Curriculum on the Environmental and Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Emily Werder
- Jill E. Johnston is with the Division of Environmental Health, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Emily Werder is with the Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Daniel Sebastian is with the Curriculum on the Environmental and Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Daniel Sebastian
- Jill E. Johnston is with the Division of Environmental Health, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Emily Werder is with the Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Daniel Sebastian is with the Curriculum on the Environmental and Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Boyle MD, Payne-Sturges DC, Sangaramoorthy T, Wilson S, Nachman KE, Babik K, Jenkins CC, Trowell J, Milton DK, Sapkota A. Hazard Ranking Methodology for Assessing Health Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Production: The Maryland Case Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145368. [PMID: 26726918 PMCID: PMC4700999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent growth of unconventional natural gas development and production (UNGDP) has outpaced research on the potential health impacts associated with the process. The Maryland Marcellus Shale Public Health Study was conducted to inform the Maryland Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission, State legislators and the Governor about potential public health impacts associated with UNGDP so they could make an informed decision that considers the health and well-being of Marylanders. In this paper, we describe an impact assessment and hazard ranking methodology we used to assess the potential public health impacts for eight hazards associated with the UNGDP process. The hazard ranking included seven metrics: 1) presence of vulnerable populations (e.g. children under the age of 5, individuals over the age of 65, surface owners), 2) duration of exposure, 3) frequency of exposure, 4) likelihood of health effects, 5) magnitude/severity of health effects, 6) geographic extent, and 7) effectiveness of setbacks. Overall public health concern was determined by a color-coded ranking system (low, moderately high, and high) that was generated based on the overall sum of the scores for each hazard. We provide three illustrative examples of applying our methodology for air quality and health care infrastructure which were ranked as high concern and for water quality which was ranked moderately high concern. The hazard ranking was a valuable tool that allowed us to systematically evaluate each of the hazards and provide recommendations to minimize the hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meleah D. Boyle
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Devon C. Payne-Sturges
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thurka Sangaramoorthy
- Department of Anthropology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sacoby Wilson
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Keeve E. Nachman
- Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kelsey Babik
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Christian C. Jenkins
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Joshua Trowell
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Donald K. Milton
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amir Sapkota
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kassotis CD, Klemp KC, Vu DC, Lin CH, Meng CX, Besch-Williford CL, Pinatti L, Zoeller RT, Drobnis EZ, Balise VD, Isiguzo CJ, Williams MA, Tillitt DE, Nagel SC. Endocrine-Disrupting Activity of Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals and Adverse Health Outcomes After Prenatal Exposure in Male Mice. Endocrinology 2015; 156:4458-73. [PMID: 26465197 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Oil and natural gas operations have been shown to contaminate surface and ground water with endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In the current study, we fill several gaps in our understanding of the potential environmental impacts related to this process. We measured the endocrine-disrupting activities of 24 chemicals used and/or produced by oil and gas operations for five nuclear receptors using a reporter gene assay in human endometrial cancer cells. We also quantified the concentration of 16 of these chemicals in oil and gas wastewater samples. Finally, we assessed reproductive and developmental outcomes in male C57BL/6J mice after the prenatal exposure to a mixture of these chemicals. We found that 23 commonly used oil and natural gas operation chemicals can activate or inhibit the estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, progesterone, and/or thyroid receptors, and mixtures of these chemicals can behave synergistically, additively, or antagonistically in vitro. Prenatal exposure to a mixture of 23 oil and gas operation chemicals at 3, 30, and 300 μg/kg · d caused decreased sperm counts and increased testes, body, heart, and thymus weights and increased serum testosterone in male mice, suggesting multiple organ system impacts. Our results suggest possible adverse developmental and reproductive health outcomes in humans and animals exposed to potential environmentally relevant levels of oil and gas operation chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Kassotis
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Kara C Klemp
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Danh C Vu
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Chung-Ho Lin
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Chun-Xia Meng
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Cynthia L Besch-Williford
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Lisa Pinatti
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - R Thomas Zoeller
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Erma Z Drobnis
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Victoria D Balise
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Chiamaka J Isiguzo
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Michelle A Williams
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Donald E Tillitt
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Susan C Nagel
- Nicholas School of the Environment (C.D.K.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health (K.C.K., C.-X.M., E.Z.D., V.D.B., C.J.I., S.C.N.), Department of Forestry (D.C.V., C.-H.L.), Division of Biological Sciences (V.D.B., M.A.W., S.C.N.), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211; IDEXX RADIL Pathology Services (C.L.B.-W.), Columbia, Missouri 65201; Department of Biology (L.P., R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003; and US Geological Survey (D.E.T.), Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201
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McCarron GP, King D. Unconventional natural gas development: economic salvation or looming public health disaster? Aust N Z J Public Health 2015; 38:108-9. [PMID: 24690046 DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Yao Y, Chen T, Shen SS, Niu Y, DesMarais TL, Linn R, Saunders E, Fan Z, Lioy P, Kluz T, Chen LC, Wu Z, Costa M, Zelikoff J. Malignant human cell transformation of Marcellus Shale gas drilling flow back water. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2015. [PMID: 26210350 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The rapid development of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing for mining natural gas from shale has posed potential impacts on human health and biodiversity. The produced flow back waters after hydraulic stimulation are known to carry high levels of saline and total dissolved solids. To understand the toxicity and potential carcinogenic effects of these wastewaters, flow back waters from five Marcellus hydraulic fracturing oil and gas wells were analyzed. The physicochemical nature of these samples was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A cytotoxicity study using colony formation as the endpoint was carried out to define the LC50 values of test samples using human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). The BEAS-2B cell transformation assay was employed to assess the carcinogenic potential of the samples. Barium and strontium were among the most abundant metals in these samples and the same metals were found to be elevated in BEAS-2B cells after long-term treatment. BEAS-2B cells treated for 6weeks with flow back waters produced colony formation in soft agar that was concentration dependent. In addition, flow back water-transformed BEAS-2B cells show better migration capability when compared to control cells. This study provides information needed to assess the potential health impact of post-hydraulic fracturing flow back waters from Marcellus Shale natural gas mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Yao
- Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Public Health, China; Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Tingting Chen
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Steven S Shen
- Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmaceutical, New York University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Yingmei Niu
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Thomas L DesMarais
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Reka Linn
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Eric Saunders
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Zhihua Fan
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Paul Lioy
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Thomas Kluz
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Lung-Chi Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA
| | - Zhuangchun Wu
- College of Science, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Max Costa
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY 10987, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tuller
- David Tuller is a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health and Graduate School of Journalism and academic coordinator of the university’s joint master’s program in public health and journalism
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Vandecasteele I, Marí Rivero I, Sala S, Baranzelli C, Barranco R, Batelaan O, Lavalle C. Impact of shale gas development on water resources: a case study in northern poland. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2015; 55:1285-1299. [PMID: 25877457 PMCID: PMC4438221 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-015-0454-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Shale gas is currently being explored in Europe as an alternative energy source to conventional oil and gas. There is, however, increasing concern about the potential environmental impacts of shale gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing (fracking). In this study, we focussed on the potential impacts on regional water resources within the Baltic Basin in Poland, both in terms of quantity and quality. The future development of the shale play was modeled for the time period 2015-2030 using the LUISA modeling framework. We formulated two scenarios which took into account the large range in technology and resource requirements, as well as two additional scenarios based on the current legislation and the potential restrictions which could be put in place. According to these scenarios, between 0.03 and 0.86% of the total water withdrawals for all sectors could be attributed to shale gas exploitation within the study area. A screening-level assessment of the potential impact of the chemicals commonly used in fracking was carried out and showed that due to their wide range of physicochemical properties, these chemicals may pose additional pressure on freshwater ecosystems. The legislation put in place also influenced the resulting environmental impacts of shale gas extraction. Especially important are the protection of vulnerable ground and surface water resources and the promotion of more water-efficient technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ine Vandecasteele
- Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Inés Marí Rivero
- Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
| | - Serenella Sala
- Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
| | - Claudia Baranzelli
- Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
| | - Ricardo Barranco
- Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
| | - Okke Batelaan
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- School of the Environment, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Carlo Lavalle
- Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy
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Hays J, Finkel ML, Depledge M, Law A, Shonkoff SBC. Considerations for the development of shale gas in the United Kingdom. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 512-513:36-42. [PMID: 25613768 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The United States shale gas boom has precipitated global interest in the development of unconventional oil and gas resources. Recently, government ministers in the United Kingdom started granting licenses that will enable companies to begin initial exploration for shale gas. Meanwhile, concern is increasing among the scientific community about the potential impacts of shale gas and other types of unconventional natural gas development (UGD) on human health and the environment. Although significant data gaps remain, there has been a surge in the number of articles appearing in the scientific literature, nearly three-quarters of which has been published since the beginning of 2013. Important lessons can be drawn from the UGD experience in the United States. Here we explore these considerations and argue that shale gas development policies in the UK and elsewhere should be informed by empirical evidence generated on environmental, public health, and social risks. Additionally, policy decisions should take into account the measured effectiveness of harm reduction strategies as opposed to hypothetical scenarios and purported best practices that lack empirical support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Hays
- PSE Healthy Energy, United States; Weill Cornell Medical College, 402 East 67th St. New York, NY 10065, United States.
| | - Madelon L Finkel
- Weill Cornell Medical College, 402 East 67th St. New York, NY 10065, United States
| | | | - Adam Law
- Weill Cornell Medical College, 402 East 67th St. New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Seth B C Shonkoff
- PSE Healthy Energy, United States; University of California, Berkeley, United States
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Arent D, Logan J, Macknick J, Boyd W, Medlock K, O’Sullivan F, Edmonds J, Clarke L, Huntington H, Heath G, Statwick P, Bazilian M. A review of water and greenhouse gas impacts of unconventional natural gas development in the United States. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1557/mre.2015.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis paper reviews recent developments in the production and use of unconventional natural gas in the United States with a focus on water and greenhouse gas emission implications. If unconventional natural gas in the U.S. is produced responsibly, transported and distributed with little leakage, and incorporated into integrated energy systems that are designed for future resiliency, it could play a significant role in realizing a more sustainable energy future; however, the increased use of natural gas as a substitute for more carbon intensive fuels will alone not substantially alter world carbon dioxide concentration projections.This paper reviews recent developments in the production and use of unconventional natural gas in the United States with a focus on environmental impacts. Specifically, we focus on water management and greenhouse gas emission implications. If unconventional natural gas in the United States is produced responsibly, transported and distributed with little leakage, and incorporated into integrated energy systems that are designed for future resiliency, it could play a significant role in realizing a more sustainable energy future. The cutting-edge of industry water management practices gives a picture of how this transition is unfolding, although much opportunity remains to minimize water use and related environmental impacts. The role of natural gas to mitigate climate forcing is less clear. While natural gas has low CO2 emissions upon direct use, methane leakage and long term climate effects lead to the conclusion that increased use of natural gas as a substitute for more carbon intensive fuels will not substantially alter world carbon dioxide concentration projections, and that other zero or low carbon energy sources will be needed to limit GHG concentrations. We conclude with some possible avenues for further work.
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Controversies Regarding Costs, Uncertainties and Benefits Specific to Shale Gas Development. SUSTAINABILITY 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/su7032473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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50
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Werner AK, Vink S, Watt K, Jagals P. Environmental health impacts of unconventional natural gas development: a review of the current strength of evidence. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 505:1127-1141. [PMID: 25461113 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Rapid global expansion of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) raises environmental health concerns. Many studies present information on these concerns, yet the strength of epidemiological evidence remains tenuous. This paper is a review of the strength of evidence in scientific reporting of environmental hazards from UNGD activities associated with adverse human health outcomes. Studies were drawn from peer-reviewed and grey literature following a systematic search. Five databases were searched for studies published from January 1995 through March 2014 using key search terms relevant to environmental health. Studies were screened, ranked and then reviewed according to the strength of the evidence presented on adverse environmental health outcomes associated with UNGD. The initial searches yielded >1000 studies, but this was reduced to 109 relevant studies after the ranking process. Only seven studies were considered highly relevant based on strength of evidence. Articles spanned several relevant topics, but most focussed on impacts on typical environmental media, such as water and air, with much of the health impacts inferred rather than evidenced. Additionally, the majority of studies focussed on short-term, rather than long-term, health impacts, which is expected considering the timeframe of UNGD; therefore, very few studies examined health outcomes with longer latencies such as cancer or developmental outcomes. Current scientific evidence for UNGD that demonstrates associations between adverse health outcomes directly with environmental health hazards resulting from UNGD activities generally lacks methodological rigour. Importantly, however, there is also no evidence to rule out such health impacts. While the current evidence in the scientific research reporting leaves questions unanswered about the actual environmental health impacts, public health concerns remain intense. This is a clear gap in the scientific knowledge that requires urgent attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela K Werner
- Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Sue Vink
- Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kerrianne Watt
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul Jagals
- School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
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