Fracking & Health: Research Workshop Fracking Health Issues & Research: United States

Aubrey K. Miller, M.D., M.P.H. Senior Medical Advisor

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Toxicology Program

15 November 2013

London, England

2

> 52,000 Wells Across the U.S.

Conceptual Model

Handling: storage ponds, treatment systems, spills & leaks, disposal, earthquakes

Contamination: chemicals, gas incursion, metals, salts, radioactive materials

Ground & Surface Water Issues

Water Use 1-8 million gallons water / fracking Ave. ~ 3 M gallons 4-30 million liters Chemicals =1-2% of volume -about 80,000 gallons 300,000 liters 30-70% of the water returns to the surface as “flowback”

> 1000 Chemicals Used Lubricants Acids Solvents & Emulsifiers Biocides Gelling Agents Anti-corrosives Scale inhibitors Clay Stabilizers Diesel fuels ?

Article: Fracking Our Food Supply , December 17, 2012

/http://fracfocus.org

Chemical Reporting Issues Nondisclosure “trade secret” Low penalties for wrong info or not reporting Timelines for reporting vary

Chemicals/Contaminants & Health •  Exposure Issues

–  Concentration & Duration

–  Intensity & frequency

–  Susceptibility

–  Route of Exposure

–  Mixtures & Cumulative Effects

•  Potential Health Effects can include:

–  Cancers (benzene, PAH’s, metals, diesel fume, NORMs)

–  Neurologic & neurobehavioral (metals, VOCs)

–  Chronic upper & lower respiratory (acids, PM, PAH)

–  Pregnancy & development (endocrine disruptors)

–  Explosive/flammability (methane)

Ground & Surface Water Hydrofracking (HF) Research Exposure: (Baseline data typically lacking) –  PA & NY: methane in drinking water wells (n=26) close to HF was increased (ave. 19,

max. 64 mg/L (explosive hazard)) with proximity (<1 km). (Osborn et al, PNAS 2011)

–  PA: Methane (6x), ethane (23X), and propane gases were higher in drinking water wells (n=144) located closer (<1 km) to fracking wells. Gas isotopic signatures were characteristic of deeper shale formations. (Jackson et al PNAS 2013)

–  CO: Reports of surface spills associated with active HF operations showed increased groundwater contamination with chemicals such as benzene. (Gross 2013, J Air Waste Manag Assoc)

–  Pavillion, WY: EPA report: Shallow and Deep drinking water sources: high pH, PAHs (BTEX, trimethylbenzenes) isopropanol, glycols. Methane incr. closer to HF sites. Source of contamination under debate. (http://www2.epa.gov/region8/pavillion#1)

–  Other: “Earthquakes can be induced as part of the process to stimulate production from tight shale formations or by disposal of wastewater” (Ellsworth (Earthquake Science Center, USGS) 2013 Science)

Health Effects? drinking water, contaminated food (milk, meats/fish, produce)?

- Currently Reports all anecdotal: smell, taste, flammability

Air Quality Concerns & Exposures Cancers, Respiratory & Cardiovascular Disease

Exposure Data (limited & variable)

Sites Exposure Assessments

•  Diesel Fumes

•  Ozone elevations

•  VOC’s

– Benzene, Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Xylene (BTEX)

•  Particulate: silica, road dust, PM10 & PM2.5

•  H2S, NOx

•  Methane

– 190 sites in U.S. ranged from 0.01-17Mg (Allen, PNAS Oct 2013)

– US EPA Studies 2011 had higher estimates

Process Concerns: -Drilling & Wells -Pipe leaks -Spills -Retention Ponds -Proppant -Sand (silica) -Engines & Vehicles

Air Quality Health Research Case Reports & Symptom Surveys

•  Eye & sinus problems, throat irritation

•  Respiratory symptoms, cough, worsening asthma

•  Headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue

•  Sleeping & GI problems

Health Risks Study (Mckenzie, 2012 Sci Total Environ)

•  Used US EPA screening assumptions

•  24 samples from near well pad

•  163 samples from ambient air in area of wells

•  Risks

–  higher residents < ½ mile from well

–  sub-chronic & chronic non- cancer health effects elevated

–  Excess cancer risk slightly higher (benzene)

Contributing Chemicals •  Aliphatic hydrocarbons •  Trimethylbenzenes •  Benzene •  Xylene •  1,3 Butadiene •  Ethylbenzene

National Geographic

Slide adapted from R. Witter APHA Oct 2012

Community Health Issues & Concerns •  Community Health Impacts Assessments & Surveys

–  Noise & light pollution

–  Safety Hazards

–  Traffic & road dust

–  Impact on Resources (boom & bust):

•  medical & emergency services, housing, public infrastructure

–  Crime, substance abuse, mental health, & psychosocial impacts

Road Dust in Kildeer, ND Hazardous Erionite mineral fibers also present in road gravel.

Community Health Research •  Childhood cancer incidence in PA counties (Fryzek, 2013 Occup Env Med)

–  Rates for leukemia & CNS tumors in HF vs non-HF counties ?

–  Results: No increases in CA found

•  Health Symptom Survey in Pennsylvania (Steinzor, 2013 New Solutions)

–  108 surveys in 14 counties linked with various environmental data

–  Participants reported numerous symptoms

–  Suggest increased health symptoms related to proximity

•  sinus & respiratory most common

US Government Health Research Activities

•  Multi-Agency Collaboration on Unconventional Oil & Gas Res. (2012)

US EPA US Geologic Survey US Dept. of Energy

•  Research Plan to address the highest priority research questions associated with safely and prudently developing unconventional shale gas and tight oil resources. (under review)

Executive Order – Supporting Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources

“. . . it is vital that we take full advantage of our natural gas resources, while giving American families and communities confidence that natural and cultural resources, air and water quality, and public health and safety will not be compromised.”

-- President Obama

Research Questions

Water Treatment and Waste Disposal

Water Acquisition

Chemical Mixing

Flowback and Produced Water

Well Injection

Large volume water withdrawals from ground and surface water?

Surface spills on or near well pads of flowback and produced water?

The injection and fracturing process?

Surface spills on or near well pads of hydraulic fracturing fluids?

Inadequate treatment of hydraulic fracturing wastewaters?

What are the potential impacts on drinking water resources of:

US EPA Drinking Water Study (requested by Congress 2010)

US Government Health Research Activities (cont.) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

–  National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)

•  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/oilgas/default.html

•  Focus on Worker Exposures, Health, & Safety: Silica & Chemical Exposures

–  Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR)

Health Consultations

•  Water quality: LeRoy, PA; Pavilion, WY; Dimock, PA; Posey County, IN

•  Air quality: Garfield County, CO, Washington County, PA

•  Explosive hazards: Medina, OH; Posey County, IN; Dimock, PA  “CDC  and  ATSDR  do  not  have  enough  informa7on  to  say  with  certainty  whether  natural  gas  extrac7on  and  produc7on  ac7vi7es  including  hydraulic  fracturing  pose  a  threat  to  public  health.  We  believe  that  further  study  is  warranted  to  fully  understand  poten7al  public  health  impacts.”  May  2012  

US Government Health Research Activities (cont.) •  NIH/ NIEHS

Promotion of Health Research

–  National Toxicology Program (NTP)

•  H2S

•  PAHs

–  Environmental Health Science Core Centers

–  Funding to the Research Community

•  Risk perception about HF in the Eastern US

•  Airborne exposures (VOCs) associated with HF in Ohio

•  Health record evaluations in counties with and without HF in NY & PA

•  Silica Exposures during sand mining in IA

•  HARVARD WORLD MAP : FrackMap http://worldmap.harvard.edu/maps/FrackMap

Hydrofracking Opportunities for Needed Research •  Baseline measures of exposure & health status & Biospecimens

–  New Study: Researchers & volunteers collecting ongoing baseline water samples from 50+ streams in upstate New York. (Penningroth et al, New Solutions 2013)

–  Need baseline health !

•  Epidemiology health studies in various locations & assessing HF approaches

•  Toxicology: studies looking at fracking fluids & complex mixtures

•  Robust exposure assessment –  Air & water hazards (eg CrVI, diesel fuel, crystalline silica)

–  natural occurring hazardous compounds including radionuclides

–  Composition and environmental fate of flowback water

–  Need for standardized sampling protocols

Thank you!