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Weeks D, Jenkins J. Sense of Place and Perceived Impacts in the Rural Industrialized Nexus: Insights for Sustainability Pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 73:1215-1229. [PMID: 38578324 PMCID: PMC11136804 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-01969-3] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
As representative of the water-energy-food nexus, fossil fuel development and industrial agriculture are rural industries that continue to expand and increasingly occur in the same areas. Being a top agricultural export county and the fossil fuel capital of California while ranking among the worst in the US for industrial pollution, Kern County is a poster child of rural nexus development and, thus, an essential place for initiating sustainability transitions. Such transitions rely on policy support and the adoption of methods by individuals and communities who may disagree with such changes. While sense of place and impact perceptions are recognized as playing critical roles in sustainability management, they have yet to be utilized in nexus research. A survey (N = 256) of the perceived impacts of nexus industries with place meaning and place attachment as possible drivers for perceptions was conducted in nexus industry pollution exposure risk zones. Factor analysis and bivariate correlations showed that place meaning and place attachment are drivers for perceptions while also being drivers for concern for changes in nexus industries. While perceptions of impacts indicated contested place meanings, participants strongly perceive the economy and environment as being in decline. To build support for sustainability policy, directing funds from Kern County's renewable energy industry to local sectors of society, implementation of regenerative agriculture, cooperative management, and nurturing place meaning as aligned with nature's restorative quality are important paths forward. These nexus management foci could strengthen place attachment, build trust in government, and repair environmental alienation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deseret Weeks
- Department of Management of Complex Systems, University of California, Merced, CA, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Jenkins
- Department of Management of Complex Systems, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
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Soriano MA, Deziel NC, Saiers JE. Regional Scale Assessment of Shallow Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination from Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:12126-12136. [PMID: 35960643 PMCID: PMC9454823 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Concerns over unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development persist, especially in rural communities that rely on shallow groundwater for drinking and other domestic purposes. Given the continued expansion of the industry, regional (vs local scale) models are needed to characterize groundwater contamination risks faced by the increasing proportion of the population residing in areas that accommodate UOG extraction. In this paper, we evaluate groundwater vulnerability to contamination from surface spills and shallow subsurface leakage of UOG wells within a 104,000 km2 region in the Appalachian Basin, northeastern USA. We test a computationally efficient ensemble approach for simulating groundwater flow and contaminant transport processes to quantify vulnerability with high resolution. We also examine metamodels, or machine learning models trained to emulate physically based models, and investigate their spatial transferability. We identify predictors describing proximity to UOG, hydrology, and topography that are important for metamodels to make accurate vulnerability predictions outside their training regions. Using our approach, we estimate that 21,000-30,000 individuals in our study area are dependent on domestic water wells that are vulnerable to contamination from UOG activities. Our novel modeling framework could be used to guide groundwater monitoring, provide information for public health studies, and assess environmental justice issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A. Soriano
- School
of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Nicole C. Deziel
- School
of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
| | - James E. Saiers
- School
of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
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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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Residential proximity to hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells and adverse birth outcomes in urban and rural communities in California (2006-2015). Environ Epidemiol 2021; 5:e172. [PMID: 34909552 PMCID: PMC8663888 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Prenatal exposure to hydraulic fracturing (HF), a chemically intensive oil and gas extraction method, may be associated with adverse birth outcomes, but no health studies have been conducted in California. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 979,961 births to mothers in eight California counties with HF between 2006 and 2015. Exposed individuals had at least 1 well hydraulically fractured within 1 km of their residence during pregnancy; the reference population had no wells within 1 km, but at least one oil/gas well within 10 km. We examined associations between HF and low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age birth (SGA), and term birth weight (tBW) using generalized estimating equations and assessing urban-rural effect modification in stratified models. Results: Fewer than 1% of mothers (N = 1,192) were exposed to HF during pregnancy. Among rural mothers, HF exposure was associated with increased odds of LBW (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10, 2.75), SGA (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.42, 2.27) and PTB (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.64, 2.12), and lower tBW (mean difference: –73 g; 95% CI = –131, –15). Among urban mothers, HF exposure was positively associated with SGA (OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 0.98, 1.55), inversely associated with LBW (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.63, 1.07) and PTB (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.48, 0.87), and not associated with tBW (mean difference: –2 g; 95% CI = –35, 31). Conclusion: HF proximity was associated with adverse birth outcomes, particularly among rural Californians.
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Zhang H, Lu P, Zhang D, Kou S, Bao K, Li C, Wang J, Mao Y. Watershed-scale assessment of surface water-related risks from shale gas development in mountainous areas, China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 279:111589. [PMID: 33223350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Water risks are one of the key issues dominating environmental debates on shale gas development. Water withdrawals and wastewater discharges in shale gas fields of mountainous areas are more complicated than in plain areas due to different climatic, topographical and hydrological conditions, which would impact water resources. This research identifies the surface water-related risks from shale gas development in mountainous areas as water shortage and water pollution. Conceptions of accessibility for both water supply and water pollution are proposed to describe the vulnerability of water resources and the exposure to water pollution. Based on a risk probability model, a water risk assessment method for mountainous areas is constructed from the perspectives of dangers, exposures and vulnerabilities. Finally, the assessment method is applied in Chongqing, China. The results show that, from 2010 to 2020, the water consumption of shale gas development has a little impact on regional water resources in total, but more significant impacts are seen in a few areas, including the seasonal water-deficient areas in Western Chongqing, the urban and suburban areas with high pollutant loadings in Midwest Chongqing, and other areas with high pollutant accessibility and vulnerable water environments. The surface water-related risks of the shale gas development in Chongqing are principally composed of low and relatively low levels of risks, which cover 60% of the total area of Chongqing and display a spatial difference of west > northeast > southeast areas. Based on Monte Carlo method, the results of uncertainty analyses show the model is reliable. This research provides a reference for water comprehensive risk assessment of shale gas development in mountainous areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of GIS Application Research, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Peili Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing, 400044, China; Department of Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
| | - Daijun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing, 400044, China; Department of Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
| | - Shuangwu Kou
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing, 400044, China; Department of Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
| | - Kai Bao
- Sinopec East China Company, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210011, China.
| | - Chenglong Li
- Sinopec East China Company, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210011, China.
| | - Jun Wang
- Chongqing Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Mao
- Chongqing Environmental Engineering Assessment Center, Chongqing, 401121, China.
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Wang L, Fan H, Wang Y. Improving population mapping using Luojia 1-01 nighttime light image and location-based social media data. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 730:139148. [PMID: 32402976 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fine-resolution population mapping, which is vital to urban planning, public health, and disaster management, has gained considerable attention in socioeconomic and environmental studies. Although population distribution has been considered highly correlated with urban facilities, the quantitative relationship between the two has yet to be revealed when considering huge heterogeneity. To address this problem, the present study proposed a novel population mapping method by adopting Luojia 1-01 nighttime light imagery, points of interest (POI), and social media check-in data. A grid-based attraction degree (AD) model was built to quantify the possibility of population concentration in each geographic unit with a comprehensive consideration of the distribution and the popularity of facilities. On the basis of kernel density estimation, 16 attraction indexes were extracted by matching POI and check-in data. Multiple variables were used to train a random forest model, through which fine-scale population mapping was conducted in Zhejiang, China. The comparison between demographic and WorldPop data proved the high accuracy of our approach (R2 = 0.75 and 0.58). To explore the characteristics of the model further, the most appropriate search distance (650 m) and acquisition time (19:00-08:00) of the check-in data were discussed. The contrast experiment revealed that the model could outperform those from previous studies on rural and suburban areas with a few check-in points and low AD; thus, the mapping error caused by heterogeneity considerably decreased. The results indicated the proposed method has great potential in fine-scale population mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Wang
- State Key Lab for Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China; Center for Real Estate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, USA.
| | - Hong Fan
- State Key Lab for Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Yankun Wang
- Research Institute for Smart Cities, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Urban Informatics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Spatial Smart Sensing and Services, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Road, Shenzhen 518061, China
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Watterson A, Dinan W. Lagging and Flagging: Air Pollution, Shale Gas Exploration and the Interaction of Policy, Science, Ethics and Environmental Justice in England. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E4320. [PMID: 32560334 PMCID: PMC7344855 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The science on the effects of global climate change and air pollution on morbidity and mortality is clear and debate now centres around the scale and precise contributions of particular pollutants. Sufficient data existed in recent decades to support the adoption of precautionary public health policies relating to fossil fuels including shale exploration. Yet air quality and related public health impacts linked to ethical and environmental justice elements are often marginalized or missing in planning and associated decision making. Industry and government policies and practices, laws and planning regulations lagged well behind the science in the United Kingdom. This paper explores the reasons for this and what shaped some of those policies. Why did shale gas policies in England fail to fully address public health priorities and neglect ethical and environmental justice concerns. To answer this question, an interdisciplinary analysis is needed informed by a theoretical framework of how air pollution and climate change are largely discounted in the complex realpolitik of policy and regulation for shale gas development in England. Sources, including official government, regulatory and planning documents, as well as industry and scientific publications are examined and benchmarked against the science and ethical and environmental justice criteria. Further, our typology illustrates how the process works drawing on an analysis of official policy documents and statements on planning and regulatory oversight of shale exploration in England, and material from industry and their consultants relating to proposed shale oil and gas development. Currently the oil, gas and chemical industries in England continue to dominate and influence energy and feedstock-related policy making to the detriment of ethical and environmental justice decision making with significant consequences for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Watterson
- Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - William Dinan
- Communications, Media & Culture, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK;
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Tran KV, Casey JA, Cushing LJ, Morello-Frosch R. Residential Proximity to Oil and Gas Development and Birth Outcomes in California: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 2006-2015 Births. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:67001. [PMID: 32490702 PMCID: PMC7268907 DOI: 10.1289/ehp5842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies suggest associations between oil and gas development (OGD) and adverse birth outcomes, but few epidemiological studies of oil wells or inactive wells exist, and none in California. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between residential proximity to OGD and birth outcomes in California. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2,918,089 births to mothers living within 10 km of at least one production well between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2015. We estimated exposure during pregnancy to inactive wells count (no inactive wells, 1 well, 2-5 wells, 6+ wells) and production volume from active wells in barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) (no BOE, 1-100 BOE/day, >100 BOE/day). We used generalized estimating equations to examine associations between overall and trimester-specific OGD exposures and term birth weight (tBW), low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age birth (SGA). We assessed effect modification by urban/rural community type. RESULTS Adjusted models showed exposure to active OGD was associated with adverse birth outcomes in rural areas; effect estimates in urban areas were close to null. In rural areas, increasing production volume was associated with stronger adverse effect estimates. High (>100 BOE/day) vs. no production throughout pregnancy was associated with increased odds of LBW [odds ratio (OR)=1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 1.71] and SGA (OR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.45), and decreased tBW (mean difference = -36 grams, 95% CI: -54, -17), but not with PTB (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.18). CONCLUSION Proximity to higher production OGD in California was associated with adverse birth outcomes among mothers residing in rural areas. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings in other populations and improve exposure assessment measures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5842.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy V Tran
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Joan A Casey
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lara J Cushing
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Sakizadeh M. Spatiotemporal variations and characterization of the chronic cancer risk associated with benzene exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 182:109387. [PMID: 31302332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A spatiotemporal analysis of benzene was performed in east of the USA and in a representative station in Baltimore County, in order to assess its trend over a 25-year time span between 1993 and 2018. A novel time series analysis technique known as TBATS (an ensemble of Trigonometric seasonal models, Box-Cox transformation, ARMA error plus Trend and Seasonal components) was applied for the first time on an air contaminant. The results demonstrated an annual seasonality and a continuously declining trend in this respect. The success of Reformulated Gasoline Program (RFG), initiated in 1995, was obviously detected in time series data since the daily benzene concentrations reduced to one-sixth of its original level in 1995. In this regard, the respective values of mean absolute scaled error (MASE) were 0.35 and 0.45 for training and test series. Given the observed concentrations of benzene, the hot spot areas in east of the US were identified by spatial analysis, as well. A chronic cancer risk was followed along the study area, by both a deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques. It was indicated that children are at higher risk than that of adults. The range of estimated risk values for PRA was higher and varied between 6.45 × 10-6 and 1.68 × 10-4 for adults and between 8.13 × 10-6 and 8.29 × 10-4 for children. According to the findings of PRA, and referring to the threshold level of 1 × 10-4, only 1.2% of the adults and 28.77% of the children were categorized in an immediate risk group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Sakizadeh
- Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
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Darabi-Golestan F, Hezarkhani A, Zare MR. Geospatial analysis and assessment of 226Ra, 235U, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K at Anzali wetland, north of Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:390. [PMID: 31119490 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7516-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Achieving better monitoring and radiation risk assessment is among the main issues in environmental studies. In this regard, natural radioactivity measurements in sediments can provide useful information about the environmental transport mechanism and about the sources of radionuclides. Anzali wetland, as the study area of this research, is located on the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea with rapidly changing ecosystems. Because of its strategic location, increasing pollution levels, decreasing water table, and increasing sediment discharge from rivers, Anzali wetland has a unique significance in terms of studying its radioactivity from sediment and soil samples. The average 226Ra, 235U, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K values for 33 sediment and soil samples were 24.66, 3.72, 31.94, 11.66, and 506.38 Bq kg-1, respectively. Variography analyses revealed a spatial structure with minimum/maximum variance equal to 3/8 from 135°/45° azimuth direction. In addition, the fractal geometry indicates values higher than 3.7, 24.5, 30, 25, and 475 Bq kg-1 as anomalous values for 235U, 226Ra, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K using Kriging estimated data with a search radius of 5000 m, respectively. Compared with the average values published by UNSCEAR (2008) for earth's crust average and compared with the values for the southern areas of Iran (Oman Sea), the estimated average and anomalous data for a pollutant at Anzali wetland do not exceed the reference data. The higher values in the samples of this study could be related to specific environmental problems such as industrial wastewater from about 30 polluted factories transported by 10 major rivers. Agricultural wastes, such as herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers from rice fields, and being a tourist attraction zone at sea beach are the other most possible pollution sources in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Darabi-Golestan
- Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave, Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran.
| | - A Hezarkhani
- Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, 424 Hafez Ave, Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran
| | - M R Zare
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
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McGranahan DA, Kirkman KP. Local Perceptions of Hydraulic Fracturing Ahead of Exploratory Drilling in Eastern South Africa. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 63:338-351. [PMID: 30712087 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01138-x] [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: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Applications for exploratory shale gas development via hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have raised concern about energy development impacts in South Africa. Initially, focus was on the arid Karoo, but interest now includes KwaZulu-Natal, a populous, agricultural province with high cultural, ecological, and economic diversity. We conducted focus groups and an online survey to determine how some South Africans perceive fracking. Focus group participants were unanimous in their opposition, primarily citing concerns over water quality and rural way-of-life. The survey confirmed broad consistency with focus group responses. When asked which provinces might be affected by fracking, KwaZulu-Natal ranked behind provinces in the Karoo, suggesting an awareness bias towards Karoo projects. Frequently-identified concerns regarding Agriculture and Natural Resources were Reduced quality of water, Negative impacts to ecosystems and natural biodiversity, Reduced quantity of water, and Pollution hazards. Frequent concerns regarding Social, Cultural, and Local Community issues were Impacts to human health, Visual/aesthetic degradation of tourism areas, Degradation of local infrastructure, and Physical degradation of tourism sites. Most survey respondents were pessimistic about potential benefits of fracking to South Africa's domestic energy supply, and did not agree fracking would reduce negative impacts of coal mining or create jobs. Survey respondents were pessimistic about government's preparedness for fracking and agreed fracking created opportunity for corruption. Many respondents agreed they would consider fracking when voting, and identified needs for more research on fracking in South Africa, which focused heavily on environmental impacts, especially water, in addition to the welfare of local citizens and their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devan Allen McGranahan
- School of Natural Resource Sciences-Range Science Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA.
| | - Kevin P Kirkman
- Grassland Science, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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Faber AH, Annevelink M, Gilissen HK, Schot P, van Rijswick M, de Voogt P, van Wezel A. How to Adapt Chemical Risk Assessment for Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction Related to the Water System. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2019; 246:1-32. [PMID: 29280081 DOI: 10.1007/398_2017_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We identify uncertainties and knowledge gaps of chemical risk assessment related to unconventional drillings and propose adaptations. We discuss how chemical risk assessment in the context of unconventional oil and gas (UO&G) activities differs from conventional chemical risk assessment and the implications for existing legislation. A UO&G suspect list of 1,386 chemicals that might be expected in the UO&G water samples was prepared which can be used for LC-HRMS suspect screening. We actualize information on reported concentrations in UO&G-related water. Most information relates to shale gas operations, followed by coal-bed methane, while only little is available for tight gas and conventional gas. The limited research on conventional oil and gas recovery hampers comparison whether risks related to unconventional activities are in fact higher than those related to conventional activities. No study analyzed the whole cycle from fracturing fluid, flowback and produced water, and surface water and groundwater. Generally target screening has been used, probably missing contaminants of concern. Almost half of the organic compounds analyzed in surface water and groundwater exceed TTC values, so further risk assessment is needed, and risks cannot be waived. No specific exposure scenarios toward groundwater aquifers exist for UO&G-related activities. Human errors in various stages of the life cycle of UO&G production play an important role in the exposure. Neither at the international level nor at the US federal and the EU levels, specific regulations for UO&G-related activities are in place to protect environmental and human health. UO&G activities are mostly regulated through general environmental, spatial planning, and mining legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Hélène Faber
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Mark Annevelink
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Herman Kasper Gilissen
- Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Schot
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen van Rijswick
- Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pim de Voogt
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemarie van Wezel
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
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13
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Spatial Analysis of Accidental Oil Spills Using Heterogeneous Data: A Case Study from the North-Eastern Ecuadorian Amazon. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10124719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Accidental oil spills were assessed in the north-eastern Ecuadorian Amazon, a rich biodiversity and cultural heritage area. Institutional reports were used to estimate oil spill volumes over the period 2001–2011. However, we had to make with heterogeneous and incomplete data. After statistically discriminating well- and poorly-documented oil blocks, some spill factors were derived from the former to spatially allocate oil spills where fragmentary data were available. Spatial prediction accuracy was assessed using similarity metrics in a cross-validation approach. Results showed 464 spill events (42.2/year), accounting for 10,000.2 t of crude oil, equivalent to annual discharges of 909.1 (±SD = 1219.5) t. Total spill volumes increased by 54.8% when spill factors were used to perform allocation to poorly-documented blocks. Resulting maps displayed pollution ‘hotspots’ in Dayuma and Joya de Los Sachas, with the highest inputs averaging 13.8 t km−2 year−1. The accuracy of spatial prediction ranged from 32 to 97%, depending on the metric and the weight given to double-zeros. Simulated situations showed that estimation accuracy depends on variabilities in incident occurrences and in spill volumes per incident. Our method is suitable for mapping hazards and risks in sensitive ecosystems, particularly in areas where incomplete data hinder this process.
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14
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Young J, Maloney KO, Slonecker ET, Milheim LE, Siripoonsup D. Canopy volume removal from oil and gas development activity in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York (USA): An assessment using lidar data. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 222:66-75. [PMID: 29802987 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.041] [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: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Oil and gas development is changing the landscape in many regions of the United States and globally. However, the nature, extent, and magnitude of landscape change and development, and precisely how this development compares to other ongoing land conversion (e.g. urban/sub-urban development, timber harvest) is not well understood. In this study, we examine land conversion from oil and gas infrastructure development in the upper Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania and New York, an area that has experienced much oil and gas development over the past 10 years. We quantified land conversion in terms of forest canopy geometric volume loss in contrast to previous studies that considered only areal impacts. For the first time in a study of this type, we use fine-scale lidar forest canopy geometric models to assess the volumetric change due to forest clearing from oil and gas development and contrast this land change to clear cut forest harvesting, and urban and suburban development. Results show that oil and gas infrastructure development removed a large volume of forest canopy from 2006 to 2013, and this removal spread over a large portion of the study area. Timber operations (clear cutting) on Pennsylvania State Forest lands removed a larger total volume of forest canopy during the same time period, but this canopy removal was concentrated in a smaller area. Results of our study point to the need to consider volumetric impacts of oil and gas development on ecosystems, and to place potential impacts in context with other ongoing land conversions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Young
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, United States.
| | - Kelly O Maloney
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, United States
| | - E Terrence Slonecker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Geographic Science Center, Reston, VA, United States
| | - Lesley E Milheim
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Geographic Science Center, Reston, VA, United States
| | - David Siripoonsup
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, United States
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15
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Meng Q. Rethink potential risks of toxic emissions from natural gas and oil mining. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 240:848-857. [PMID: 29787975 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies have showed the increasing environmental and public health risks of toxic emissions from natural gas and oil mining, which have become even worse as fracking is becoming a dominant approach in current natural gas extraction. However, governments and communities often overlook the serious air pollutants from oil and gas mining, which are often quantified lower than the significant levels of adverse health effects. Therefore, we are facing a challenging dilemma: how could we clearly understand the potential risks of air toxics from natural gas and oil mining. This short study aims at the design and application of simple and robust methods to enhance and improve current understanding of the becoming worse toxic air emissions from natural gas and oil mining as fracking is becoming the major approach. Two simple ratios, the min-to-national-average and the max-to-national-average, are designed and applied to each type of air pollutants in a natural gas and oil mining region. The two ratios directly indicate how significantly high a type of air pollutant could be due to natural gas and oil mining by comparing it to the national average records, although it may not reach the significant risks of adverse health effects according to current risk screening methods. The min-to-national-average and the max-to-national-average ratios can be used as a direct and powerful method to describe the significance of air pollution by comparing it to the national average. The two ratios are easy to use for governments, stakeholders, and the public to pay enough attention on the air pollutants from natural gas and oil mining. The two ratios can also be thematically mapped at sampled sites for spatial monitoring, but spatial mitigation and analysis of environmental and health risks need other measurements of environmental and demographic characteristics across a natural gas and oil mining area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmin Meng
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, United States.
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16
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Ma L, Hurtado A, Eguilior S, Llamas Borrajo JF. A model for predicting organic compounds concentration change in water associated with horizontal hydraulic fracturing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 625:1164-1174. [PMID: 29996413 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are technologies designed to increase natural gas flow and to improve productivity in low permeability formations. During this drilling operation, tons of flowback and produced water, which contain several organic compounds, return to the surface with a potential risk of influencing the surrounding environment and human health. In order to conduct predictive risk assessments a mathematical model is needed to evaluate organic compound behaviour along the water transportation process as well as concentration changes over time throughout the operational life cycle. A comprehensive model, which fits the experimental data, combining an Organic Matter Transport Dynamic Model with a Two-Compartment First-order Rate Constant (TFRC) Model has been established to quantify the organic compounds concentrations. This algorithm model incorporates two transportation rates, fast and slow. The results show that the higher the value of the organic carbon partition coefficient (koc) in chemicals, the later the maximum concentration in water will be reached. The maximum concentration percentage would reach up to 90% of the available concentration of each compound in shale formation (whose origin may be associated to drilling fluid, connate water and/or rock matrix) over a sufficiently long period of time. This model could serve as a contribution to enhance monitoring strategy, increase benefits out of optimizing health risk assessment for local residents and provide initial baseline data to further operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanting Ma
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas y Energía de Madrid, Calle de Ríos Rosas 21, 28003 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Antonio Hurtado
- Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Avda. Complutense 40, Edif. 20, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonsoles Eguilior
- Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Avda. Complutense 40, Edif. 20, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan F Llamas Borrajo
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas y Energía de Madrid, Calle de Ríos Rosas 21, 28003 Madrid, Spain
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17
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Maloney KO, Young JA, Faulkner SP, Hailegiorgis A, Slonecker ET, Milheim LE. A detailed risk assessment of shale gas development on headwater streams in the Pennsylvania portion of the Upper Susquehanna River Basin, U.S.A. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 610-611:154-166. [PMID: 28803193 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) involves infrastructure development (well pads, roads and pipelines), well drilling and stimulation (hydraulic fracturing), and production; all of which have the potential to affect stream ecosystems. Here, we developed a fine-scaled (1:24,000) catchment-level disturbance intensity index (DII) that included 17 measures of UOG capturing all steps in the development process (infrastructure, water withdrawals, probabilistic spills) that could affect headwater streams (<200km2 in upstream catchment) in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The DII ranged from 0 (no UOG disturbance) to 100 (the catchment with the highest UOG disturbance in the study area) and it was most sensitive to removal of pipeline cover, road cover and well pad cover metrics. We related this DII to three measures of high quality streams: Pennsylvania State Exceptional Value (EV) streams, Class A brook trout streams and Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture brook trout patches. Overall only 3.8% of all catchments and 2.7% of EV stream length, 1.9% of Class A streams and 1.2% of patches were classified as having medium to high level DII scores (>50). Well density, often used as a proxy for development, only correlated strongly with well pad coverage and produced materials, and therefore may miss potential effects associated with roads and pipelines, water withdrawals and spills. When analyzed with a future development scenario, 91.1% of EV stream length, 68.7% of Class A streams and 80.0% of patches were in catchments with a moderate to high probability of development. Our method incorporated the cumulative effects of UOG on streams and can be used to identify catchments and reaches at risk to existing stressors or future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly O Maloney
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA.
| | - John A Young
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - Stephen P Faulkner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - Atesmachew Hailegiorgis
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - E Terrence Slonecker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Geographic Science Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - Lesley E Milheim
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Geographic Science Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192, USA
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18
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Konkel L. In the Neighborhood of 18 Million: Estimating How Many People Live Near Oil and Gas Wells. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2017; 125:124003. [PMID: 29225196 PMCID: PMC5963578 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
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19
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Czolowski ED, Santoro RL, Srebotnjak T, Shonkoff SBC. Toward Consistent Methodology to Quantify Populations in Proximity to Oil and Gas Development: A National Spatial Analysis and Review. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2017; 125:086004. [PMID: 28858829 PMCID: PMC5783652 DOI: 10.1289/ehp1535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher risk of exposure to environmental health hazards near oil and gas wells has spurred interest in quantifying populations that live in proximity to oil and gas development. The available studies on this topic lack consistent methodology and ignore aspects of oil and gas development of value to public health-relevant assessment and decision-making. OBJECTIVES We aim to present a methodological framework for oil and gas development proximity studies grounded in an understanding of hydrocarbon geology and development techniques. METHODS We geospatially overlay locations of active oil and gas wells in the conterminous United States and Census data to estimate the population living in proximity to hydrocarbon development at the national and state levels. We compare our methods and findings with existing proximity studies. RESULTS Nationally, we estimate that 17.6 million people live within 1,600m (∼1 mi) of at least one active oil and/or gas well. Three of the eight studies overestimate populations at risk from actively producing oil and gas wells by including wells without evidence of production or drilling completion and/or using inappropriate population allocation methods. The remaining five studies, by omitting conventional wells in regions dominated by historical conventional development, significantly underestimate populations at risk. CONCLUSIONS The well inventory guidelines we present provide an improved methodology for hydrocarbon proximity studies by acknowledging the importance of both conventional and unconventional well counts as well as the relative exposure risks associated with different primary production categories (e.g., oil, wet gas, dry gas) and developmental stages of wells. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1535.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Seth B C Shonkoff
- PSE Healthy Energy , Oakland, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley, California, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
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20
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Meng Q. The impacts of fracking on the environment: A total environmental study paradigm. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 580:953-957. [PMID: 27986321 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Fracking has become a hot topic in the media and public discourse not only because of its economic benefit but also its environmental impacts. Recently, scientists have investigated the environmental impacts of fracking, and most studies focus on its air and ground water pollution. A systematic research structure and an overall evaluation of fracking's impacts on the environment are needed, because fracking does not only influence ground water but most environmental elements including but not limited to air, water, soil, rock, vegetation, wildlife, human, and many other ecosystem components. From the standpoint of the total environment, this communication assesses the overall impacts of fracking on the environment and then designs a total environmental study paradigm that effectively examines the complicated relationship among the total environment. Fracking dramatically changes the anthroposphere, which in turn significantly impacts the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere through the significant input or output of water, air, liquid or solid waste disposals, and the complex chemical components in fracking fluids. The proposed total environment study paradigm of fracking can be applied to other significant human activities that have dramatic impacts on the environment, such as mountain top coal mining or oil sands for environmental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmin Meng
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, MS 39762, USA.
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21
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Yan B, Stute M, Panettieri RA, Ross J, Mailloux B, Neidell MJ, Soares L, Howarth M, Liu X, Saberi P, Chillrud SN. Association of groundwater constituents with topography and distance to unconventional gas wells in NE Pennsylvania. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 577:195-201. [PMID: 27817928 PMCID: PMC5116425 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Recently we reported an association of certain diseases with unconventional gas development (UGD). The purpose of this study is to examine UGD's possible impacts on groundwater quality in northeastern Pennsylvania. In this study, we compared our groundwater data (Columbia 58 samples) with those published data from Cabot (1701 samples) and Duke University (150 samples). For each dataset, proportions of samples with elevated levels of dissolved constituents were compared among four groups, identified as upland far (i.e. ≥1km to the nearest UGD gas well), upland near (<1km), valley far (≥1km), and valley near (<1km) groups. The Columbia data do not show statistically significant differences among the 4 groups, probably due to the limited number of samples. In Duke samples, Ca and CI levels are significantly higher in the valley near group than in the valley far group. In the Cabot dataset, methane, Na, and Mn levels are significantly higher in valley far samples than in upland far samples. In valley samples, Ca, Cl, SO4, and Fe are significantly higher in the near group (i.e. <1km) than in the far group. The association of these constituents in valley groundwater with distance is observed for the first time using a large industry dataset. The increase may be caused by enhanced mixing of shallow and deep groundwater in valley, possibly triggered by UGD process. If persistent, these changes indicate potential for further impact on groundwater quality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct more studies to investigate effects of UGD on water quality and possible health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beizhan Yan
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt. 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States.
| | - Martin Stute
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt. 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States; Department of Environmental Science, Barnard College, NY, NY, United States
| | - Reynold A Panettieri
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - James Ross
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt. 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States
| | - Brian Mailloux
- Department of Environmental Science, Barnard College, NY, NY, United States
| | - Matthew J Neidell
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lissa Soares
- Department of Environmental Science, Barnard College, NY, NY, United States
| | - Marilyn Howarth
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xinhua Liu
- Department of Biostatics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pouné Saberi
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Steven N Chillrud
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Rt. 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States
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22
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Considerations and Pitfalls in the Spatial Analysis of Water Quality Data and Its Association With Hydraulic Fracturing. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.apmp.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
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23
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Zawadzki J, Bogacki J. Smart magnetic markers use in hydraulic fracturing. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 162:23-30. [PMID: 27475294 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.07.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
One of the main challenges and unknowns during shale gas exploration is to assess the range and efficiency of hydraulic fracturing. It is also essential to assess the distribution of proppant, which keeps the fracture pathways open. Solving these problems may considerably increase the efficiency of the shale gas extraction. Because of that, the idea of smart magnetic marker, which can be detected when added to fracturing fluid, has been considered for a long time. This study provides overview of the possibilities of magnetic marker application for shale gas extraction. The imaging methods using electromagnetic markers, are considered or developed in two directions. The first possibility is the markers' electromagnetic activity throughout the whole volume of the fracturing fluid. Thus, it can be assumed that the whole fracturing fluid is the marker. Among these type of hydraulic fracturing solutions, ferrofluid could be considered. The second possibility is marker, which is just one of many components of the fracturing fluid. In this case feedstock magnetic materials, ferrites and nanomaterials could be considered. Magnetic properties of magnetite could be too low and ferrofluids' or nanomaterials' price is unacceptably high. Because of that, ferrites, especially ZnMn ferrites seems to be the best material for magnetic marker. Because of the numerous applications in electronics, it is cheap and easily available, although the price is higher, then that of magnetite. The disadvantage of using ferrite, could be too small mechanical strength. It creates an essential need for combining magnetic marker with proppant into magnetic-ceramic composite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarosław Zawadzki
- Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Bogacki
- Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland.
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24
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Meng Q. The spatiotemporal characteristics of environmental hazards caused by offshore oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 565:663-671. [PMID: 27213845 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems are home to a host of numerous species ranging from tiny planktonic organisms, fishes, and birds, to large mammals such as the whales, manatees, and seals. However, human activities such as offshore oil and gas operations increasingly threaten marine and coastal ecosystems, for which there has been little exploration into the spatial and temporal risks of offshore oil operations. Using the Gulf of Mexico, one of the world's hottest spots of offshore oil and gas mining, as the study area, we propose a spatiotemporal approach that integrates spatial statistics and geostatistics in a geographic information system environment to provide insight to environmental management and decision making for oil and gas operators, coastal communities, local governments, and the federal government. We use the records from 1995 to 2015 of twelve types of hazards caused by offshore oil and gas operations, and analyze them spatially over a five year period. The spatial clusters of these hazards are analyzed and mapped using Getis-Ord Gi and local Moran's I statistics. We then design a spatial correlation coefficient matrix for multivariate spatial correlation, which is the ratio of the cross variogram of two types of hazards to the product of the variograms of the two hazards, showing a primary understanding of the degrees of spatial correlation among the twelve types hazards. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first application of spatiotemporal analysis methods to environmental hazards caused by offshore oil and gas operations; the proposed methods can be applied to other regions for the management and monitoring of environmental hazards caused by offshore oil operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmin Meng
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, MS 39762, USA.
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25
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Moustafa K. Oil, Earth mass and gravitational force. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 548-549:479-482. [PMID: 26850858 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Fossil fuels are intensively extracted from around the world faster than they are renewed. Regardless of direct and indirect effects of such extractions on climate change and biosphere, another issue relating to Earth's internal structure and Earth mass should receive at least some interest. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), about 34 billion barrels of oil (~4.7 trillion metric tons) and 9 billion tons of coal have been extracted in 2014 worldwide. Converting the amounts of oil and coal extracted over the last 3 decades and their respective reserves, intended to be extracted in the future, into mass values suggests that about 355 trillion tons, or ~5.86∗10(-9) (~0.0000000058)% of the Earth mass, would be 'lost'. Although this is a tiny percentage, modeling the potential loss of Earth mass may help figuring out a critical threshold of mass loss that should not be exceeded. Here, I briefly discuss whether such loss would have any potential consequences on the Earth's internal structure and on its gravitational force based on the Newton's law of gravitation that links the attraction force between planets to their respective masses and the distance that separate them.
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26
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Burton TG, Rifai HS, Hildenbrand ZL, Carlton DD, Fontenot BE, Schug KA. Elucidating hydraulic fracturing impacts on groundwater quality using a regional geospatial statistical modeling approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 545-546:114-26. [PMID: 26745299 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing operations have been viewed as the cause of certain environmental issues including groundwater contamination. The potential for hydraulic fracturing to induce contaminant pathways in groundwater is not well understood since gas wells are completed while isolating the water table and the gas-bearing reservoirs lay thousands of feet below the water table. Recent studies have attributed ground water contamination to poor well construction and leaks in the wellbore annulus due to ruptured wellbore casings. In this paper, a geospatial model of the Barnett Shale region was created using ArcGIS. The model was used for spatial analysis of groundwater quality data in order to determine if regional variations in groundwater quality, as indicated by various groundwater constituent concentrations, may be associated with the presence of hydraulically fractured gas wells in the region. The Barnett Shale reservoir pressure, completions data, and fracture treatment data were evaluated as predictors of groundwater quality change. Results indicated that elevated concentrations of certain groundwater constituents are likely related to natural gas production in the study area and that beryllium, in this formation, could be used as an indicator variable for evaluating fracturing impacts on regional groundwater quality. Results also indicated that gas well density and formation pressures correlate to change in regional water quality whereas proximity to gas wells, by itself, does not. The results also provided indirect evidence supporting the possibility that micro annular fissures serve as a pathway transporting fluids and chemicals from the fractured wellbore to the overlying groundwater aquifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylour G Burton
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, W455 Engineering Bldg. 2, Houston, TX 77204-4003, United States.
| | - Hanadi S Rifai
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, N138 Engineering Bldg. 1, Houston, TX 77204-4003, United States.
| | - Zacariah L Hildenbrand
- Inform Environmental, LLC, Dallas, TX 75206, United States; Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States.
| | - Doug D Carlton
- Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States.
| | - Brian E Fontenot
- Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States.
| | - Kevin A Schug
- Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States.
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