Abstract
Since 2009, unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) has significantly increased in Appalachia’s Marcellus Shale formation. Elevations of fine particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), have been documented in areas surrounding drilling operations during well stimulation. Furthermore, many communities are experiencing increased industrial activities and probable UNGD air pollutant exposures. Recent studies have associated UNGD emissions with health effects based on distances from well pads. In this study, PM2.5 filter samples were collected on an active gas well pad in Morgantown, West Virginia, and three locations downwind during hydraulic stimulation. Fine particulate samples were analyzed for major and trace elements. An experimental source identification model was developed to determine which elements appeared to be traceable downwind of the UNGD site and whether these elements corresponded to PM2.5 measurements. Results suggest that 1) magnesium may be useful for detecting the reach of UNGD point source emissions, 2) complex surface topographic and meteorological conditions in the Marcellus Shale region could be modeled and confounding sources discounted, and 3) well pad emissions may be measurable at distances of at least 7 km. If shown to be more widely applicable, future tracer studies could enhance epidemiological studies showing health effects of UNGD-associated emissions at ≥15 km.
Highlights
Particulate air pollution (PM) is known as a significant contributor to the global burden of disease and mortality
We sought to determine 1) what trace elements unique to the unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) well pad could be identified at distances downwind, and 2) whether these elements corresponded to PM2.5 measurements
We developed an experimental source identification model for the wind patterns and topography of the surrounding area to test our hypotheses
Summary
Particulate air pollution (PM) is known as a significant contributor to the global burden of disease and mortality. PM is a physicochemically diverse mixture, with a variety of amounts, shapes, sizes and origins—all of which contribute to PM toxicity. Smaller-sized particles deposit deep in the lungs, which has been shown to invoke an inflammatory immune response and produce oxidative stress [1,2]. Exposure to mass amounts of each size particle has been linked to adverse health effects, such as adverse birth outcomes [3,4], asthma [5,6,7,8,9,10], cardiovascular disease [9,11,12,13,14]. In 2015, exposure to PM2.5 was the fifth-ranking mortality risk factor globally, Int. J. Public Health 2020, 17, 1837; doi:10.3390/ijerph17061837 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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