Coordinated Program of Research on Multi-Pathway Community Exposures Associated with Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM. People can be exposed to chemical agents (e.g., benzene) and non-chemical agents (e.g., noise, light, and vibration) released from unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD). Important knowledge gaps limit our understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of these exposures, as well as the UOGD processes leading to potential exposures. We aim to describe a new coordinated program of research funded by HEI Energy that will investigate potential exposure pathways between UOGD releases of noise and chemicals to air and water and people in communities affected by this development in major oil- and natural gas-producing regions of the United States. METHODS. Three research teams from different institutions are collaborating to: 1) develop and evaluate a novel combined emissions and dispersion model (Tracking Community Exposures and Releases from UOGD [TraCER] model) that can be used for future UOGD emissions and exposure research nationally, and 2) conduct air quality and noise monitoring to improve understanding of potential acute and chronic human exposures and to evaluate the model in Colorado and Texas. Research teams assessing water-related exposures are combining existing data with machine learning and fate and transport models to evaluate exposure pathways between UOGD processes and water sources in Colorado, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. The research will involve meaningful engagement with stakeholders in the study locations. RESULTS: HEI Energy’s coordinated program of research and stakeholder engagement will provide critical information to support decision making about how best to protect human health. It will produce publicly available data for use in future UOGD health studies and accountability research, as well as models and frameworks, that can be applied to any region in the United States, to connect specific UOGD processes to potential exposures to noise and chemicals in air and water.