1
|
Aker AM, Friesen M, Ronald LA, Doyle-Waters MM, Takaro TK, Thickson W, Levin K, Meyer U, Caron-Beaudoin E, McGregor MJ. The human health effects of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD): A scoping review of epidemiologic studies. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2024; 115:446-467. [PMID: 38457120 PMCID: PMC11133301 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-024-00860-2] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD, sometimes termed "fracking" or "hydraulic fracturing") is an industrial process to extract methane gas and/or oil deposits. Many chemicals used in UOGD have known adverse human health effects. Canada is a major producer of UOGD-derived gas with wells frequently located in and around rural and Indigenous communities. Our objective was to conduct a scoping review to identify the extent of research evidence assessing UOGD exposure-related health impacts, with an additional focus on Canadian studies. METHODS We included English- or French-language peer-reviewed epidemiologic studies (January 2000-December 2022) which measured exposure to UOGD chemicals directly or by proxy, and where health outcomes were plausibly caused by UOGD-related chemical exposure. Results synthesis was descriptive with results ordered by outcome and hierarchy of methodological approach. SYNTHESIS We identified 52 studies from nine jurisdictions. Only two were set in Canada. A majority (n = 27) used retrospective cohort and case-control designs. Almost half (n = 24) focused on birth outcomes, with a majority (n = 22) reporting one or more significant adverse associations of UOGD exposure with: low birthweight; small for gestational age; preterm birth; and one or more birth defects. Other studies identified adverse impacts including asthma (n = 7), respiratory (n = 13), cardiovascular (n = 6), childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (n = 2), and all-cause mortality (n = 4). CONCLUSION There is a growing body of research, across different jurisdictions, reporting associations of UOGD with adverse health outcomes. Despite the rapid growth of UOGD, which is often located in remote, rural, and Indigenous communities, Canadian research on its effects on human health is remarkably sparse. There is a pressing need for additional evidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amira M Aker
- Université Laval, CHU de Quebec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Michael Friesen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa A Ronald
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mary M Doyle-Waters
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tim K Takaro
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Willow Thickson
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Karen Levin
- Emerald Environmental Consulting, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Ulrike Meyer
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Elyse Caron-Beaudoin
- Department of Health and Society and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margaret J McGregor
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Crowley R, Mathew S, Hilden D. Environmental Health: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 2022; 175:1591-1593. [PMID: 36279541 DOI: 10.7326/m22-1864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental health refers to the health effects associated with environmental factors, such as air pollution, water contamination, and climate change. Environmental hazards are associated with poor outcomes in common diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians (ACP) seeks to inform physicians about environmental health and offers policymakers recommendations to reduce the adverse health consequences of climate change, improve air and water quality, reduce exposure to toxic substances, and address environmental injustice. ACP affirms that all communities, including people of color, people with low income, and marginalized populations, deserve to live in a healthy environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Crowley
- American College of Physicians, Washington, DC (R.C.)
| | - Suja Mathew
- Atlantic Health System, Morristown, New Jersey (S.M.)
| | - David Hilden
- Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, Minnesota (D.H.)
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Schuele H, Baum CF, Landrigan PJ, Hawkins SS. Associations between proximity to gas production activity in counties and birth outcomes across the US. Prev Med Rep 2022; 30:102007. [PMID: 36245806 PMCID: PMC9554803 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite mounting evidence on the health effects of natural gas development (NGD), including hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), existing research has been constrained to high-producing states, limiting generalizability. To expand the scope of previous research, we examined the associations between prenatal exposure and NGD production activity in 28 states on birth outcomes overall and by race/ethnicity. We linked 2005–2018 county-level microdata natality files on 33,849,409 singleton births from 1984 counties in 28 states with nine-month county-level averages of NGD production by both conventional and unconventional production methods, based on month/year of birth. We estimated linear regression models for birth weight and gestational age and probit models for the dichotomous outcomes of low birth weight, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational age. We subsequently examined interactions between women’s race/ethnicity and NGD production. We found that 53.8% of counties had NGD production activity. A 10% increase in NGD production in a county was associated with a decrease in mean birth weight by 1.48 g (95% CI = −2.60, −0.37), with reductions of 10.19 g (−13.56, −6.81) for infants born to Black women and 2.76 g (−5.05, −0.46) for infants born to Asian women. A 10% increase in NGD production in a county was associated with an increased risk of infants born low birth weight (0.0008; 95% CI = 0.0006, 0.0010) or small-for-gestational age (0.0018; 95% CI = 0.0015, 0.0022), particularly among infants born to Black women. In sum, NGD for energy production has negative impacts on the health of infants, with greatest effects in infants born to minoritized women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hailee Schuele
- Boston College, School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Christopher F. Baum
- Boston College, School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA,Boston College, Department of Economics, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA,German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Department of Macroeconomics, Berlin, USA
| | - Philip J. Landrigan
- Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, Global Observatory on Pollution and Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Summer Sherburne Hawkins
- Boston College, School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA,Corresponding author at: Boston College, School of Social Work, McGuinn Hall, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Deziel NC, Clark CJ, Casey JA, Bell ML, Plata DL, Saiers JE. Assessing Exposure to Unconventional Oil and Gas Development: Strengths, Challenges, and Implications for Epidemiologic Research. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:436-450. [PMID: 35522388 PMCID: PMC9363472 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00358-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Epidemiologic studies have observed elevated health risks in populations living near unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD). In this narrative review, we discuss strengths and limitations of UOG exposure assessment approaches used in or available for epidemiologic studies, emphasizing studies of children's health outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS Exposure assessment challenges include (1) numerous potential stressors with distinct spatiotemporal patterns, (2) critical exposure windows that cover long periods and occur in the past, and (3) limited existing monitoring data coupled with the resource-intensiveness of collecting new exposure measurements to capture spatiotemporal variation. All epidemiologic studies used proximity-based models for exposure assessment as opposed to surveys, biomonitoring, or environmental measurements. Nearly all studies used aggregate (rather than pathway-specific) models, which are useful surrogates for the complex mix of potential hazards. Simple and less-specific exposure assessment approaches have benefits in terms of scalability, interpretability, and relevance to specific policy initiatives such as set-back distances. More detailed and specific models and metrics, including dispersion methods and stressor-specific models, could reduce exposure misclassification, illuminate underlying exposure pathways, and inform emission control and exposure mitigation strategies. While less practical in a large population, collection of multi-media environmental and biological exposure measurements would be feasible in cohort subsets. Such assessments are well-suited to provide insights into the presence and magnitude of exposures to UOG-related stressors in relation to spatial surrogates and to better elucidate the plausibility of observed effects in both children and adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Deziel
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St., New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Cassandra J. Clark
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St., New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Joan A. Casey
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 630 West 168th Street, Room 16-416, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Michelle L. Bell
- Yale School of the Environment, 195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| | - Desiree L. Plata
- grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 15 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - James E. Saiers
- Yale School of the Environment, 195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511 USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li L, Dominici F, Blomberg AJ, Bargagli-Stoffi FJ, Schwartz JD, Coull BA, Spengler JD, Wei Y, Lawrence J, Koutrakis P. Exposure to Unconventional Oil and Gas Development and All-cause Mortality in Medicare Beneficiaries. NATURE ENERGY 2022; 7:177-185. [PMID: 35425643 PMCID: PMC9004666 DOI: 10.1038/s41560-021-00970-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about whether exposure to unconventional oil and gas development is associated with higher mortality risks in the elderly and whether related air pollutants are exposure pathways. We studied a cohort of 15,198,496 Medicare beneficiaries (136,215,059 person-years) in all major U.S. unconventional exploration regions from 2001 to 2015. We gathered data from records of more than 2.5 million oil and gas wells. For each beneficiary's ZIP code of residence and year in the cohort, we calculated a proximity-based and a downwind-based pollutant exposure. We analyzed the data using two methods: Cox proportional hazards model and Difference-in-Differences. We found evidence of statistically significant higher mortality risk associated with living in proximity to and downwind of unconventional oil and gas wells. Our results suggest that primary air pollutants sourced from unconventional oil and gas exploration can be a major exposure pathway with adverse health effects in the elderly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Annelise J. Blomberg
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Joel D. Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brent A. Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John D. Spengler
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yaguang Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joy Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Erickson CL, Barron IG, Zapata I. The effects of hydraulic fracturing activities on birth outcomes are evident in a non-individualized county-wide aggregate data sample from Colorado. J Public Health Res 2021; 11. [PMID: 34619860 PMCID: PMC8859723 DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2021.2551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: There is growing concern about the recent increase in oil and gas development using hydraulic fracturing. Studies linking adverse birth outcomes and maternal proximity to hydraulic fracturing wells exist but tend to use individualized maternal and infant data contained in protected health care records. In this study, we extended the findings of these past studies to evaluate if analogous effects detected with individualized data could be detected from non-individualized county-wide aggregated data. Design and methods: This study used a retrospective cohort of 252,502 birth records from 1999 to 2019 gathered from a subset sample of 5 counties in the state of Colorado where hydraulic fracturing activities were conducted. We used Generalized Linear Models to evaluate the effect of county-wide well density and production data over unidentified birth weight, and prematurity data. Covariates used in the model were county-wide statistics sourced from the US Census. Results: Our modeling approach showed an interesting effect where hydraulic fracturing exposure metrics have a mixed effect directional response. This effect was detected on birth weight when well density, production and their interaction are accounted for. The interaction effect provides an additional interpretation to discrepancies reported previously in the literature. Our approach only detected a positive association to prematurity with increased production. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate two main points: First, the effect of hydraulic fracturing is detectable by using countywide unidentified data. Second, the effect of hydraulic fracturing can be complicated by the number of operations and the intensity of the activities in the area. Significance for public health The proliferation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production has led to an increase in interest in the public health impact of this industry. Research in this field can be complicated due to data accessibility and concerns of privacy violations. In this study we focus on the assessment of maternal health outcomes while considering data privacy. The main goal of our study was to evaluate the potential of using non-individualized, county-wide data to detect the effects of hydraulic fracturing activities on birth outcomes. This goal was achieved by using county-wide exposure metrics of hydraulic fracturing well density and production and by adjusting to known demographic covariates sourced from Census data. Our study provides and alternate approach to evaluate health effects of hydraulic fracturing activities and provides additional evidence highlighting the complicated effects associations that should be considered in further studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ileana G Barron
- School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL .
| | - Isain Zapata
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rocky Vista University, Parker, CO.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Eleke C, Ngbala-Okpabi SO, Ogaji D, Agu IS, Bempong-Eleke EN. Effects of Environmental Crude Oil Pollution on Newborn Birth Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Nurs Res 2021; 29:e161. [PMID: 34049324 DOI: 10.1097/jnr.0000000000000435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization encourages countries to improve birth outcomes to reduce rates of neonatal mortality and morbidity. PURPOSE This study was designed to examine the effect of environmental crude oil pollution on newborn birth outcomes in Rivers State, Nigeria. METHODS A retrospective cohort design was used to examine the effects of exposure to oil pollution on birth outcomes using facility-based records. K-Dere (an oil-polluted community) served as the exposure group, whereas birth records from Iriebe served as the comparison group. A sample size of 338 systematically selected birth records was examined (169 records for each arm of the study). A data extraction sheet was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p < .05. RESULTS The risk of preterm birth was significantly higher in the exposed group (16% vs. 7.7%, relative risk = 2.08, 95% CI [1.11, 3.89], p = .018). At 6 weeks after birth, newborns in the exposed group weighed significantly less (4.64 ± 0.82 vs. 4.85 ± 0.92 kg, p = .032) and reported significantly higher incidence of morbidity compared with the newborns in the comparison group (relative risk = 3.03, 95% CI [2.20, 4.19], p < .001). CONCLUSIONS The oil-polluted area examined in this study was found to have a higher risk of preterm birth, a slower rate of newborn growth, and a higher rate of newborn morbidity than the non-oil-polluted area at 6 weeks after birth. Stakeholders should sustain efforts to remediate the environment in polluted regions and prevent oil pollution. Future research should investigate the mechanisms of the observed toxicological effects and the targeted protection of vulnerable groups in oil-polluted communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chinemerem Eleke
- MSN, RM, RN, Lecturer, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Department of Nursing, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria
| | - Sabinah Obele Ngbala-Okpabi
- MSN, RM, RN, Researcher, Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicology Research, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria
| | - Daprim Ogaji
- PhD, MBBS, Centre Leader and Research Coordinator, Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicology Research, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria
| | - Ifeyinwa S Agu
- MSN, RM, RN, Lecturer, Department of Nursing Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Grubesic TH, Durbin KM. The complex geographies of telelactation and access to community breastfeeding support in the state of Ohio. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242457. [PMID: 33232335 PMCID: PMC7685454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The availability of breastfeeding support resources, including those provided by Baby-Friendly Hospitals, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, breastfeeding counselors and educators, and volunteer-based mother-to-mother support organizations, such as La Leche League, are critically important for influencing breastfeeding initiation and continuation for the mother-child dyad. In addition, the emergence of community support options via information and communication technologies such as Skype and Facetime, social media (e.g., Facebook), and telelactation providers are providing mothers with a new range of support options that can help bridge geographic barriers to traditional community support. However, telelactation services that use information and communication technologies to connect breastfeeding mothers to remotely located breastfeeding experts require reliable, affordable, high-quality broadband connections to facilitate interaction between mothers and their support resources. The purpose of this paper is to explore the complex spatial landscape of virtual and face-to-face breastfeeding support options for mothers in the state of Ohio (U.S.), identifying barriers to support. Using a range of spatial and network analytics, the results suggest that a divide is emerging. While urban areas in Ohio benefit from both a density of face-to-face breastfeeding support resources and robust broadband options for engaging in telelactation, many rural areas of the state are lacking access to both. Policy implications and several potential strategies for mitigating these inequities are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tony H. Grubesic
- Geoinformatics & Policy Analytics Laboratory, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | |
Collapse
|