Environmental pathways of potential impacts to human health from oil and gas development in northeast British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Concerns have arisen recently as to whether the upstream oil and gas (UOG) sector — responsible for exploration, production, and some processing of raw fossil fuels — is negatively impacting human (and environmental) health in northeast British Columbia (NEBC). The region has experienced increased rates of cancers and other illnesses that have been linked to the contaminants and stressors associated with UOG. Contaminants reach human receptors through environmental pathways, namely air, soil, water, and food. Each contaminant or stressor has specific sources, transport, exposure mechanisms, and biochemistry; and each can impact health both directly and indirectly. Of particular concern are airborne sulphur and nitrogen oxides, hazardous volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulphide, ozone, noise, and radiation; as well as soil- or water-borne hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and radiation — some of which can also impact human health through food pathways. It has been determined that UOG is negatively impacting human health in NEBC; however, further information, such as environmental monitoring, is required before the actual health risks and impacts posed by UOG can be quantified.

Measurement of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide by satellite and passive monitors in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada.

“…about increasing air pollution as a result of accelerating natural gas production (Fraser Basin Council, 2013;Krzyzanowski, 2012;MoE, 2014) without the simultaneous implementation o f available technological advances to control emissions (Krzyzanowski, 2009 and are emitted from various stages o f oil and gas activities, mostly during the production phase such as processing (e.g., flares, engines, and compressors), distribution (e.g., leaks of pipelines and flanges), and from storage tanks (e.g., vaporization) (Krzyzanowski, 2012).…”

“…These chemical compounds may impact on human health through a number of environmental pathways including air, water, and soil or through multiple pathways (Krzyzanowski, 2012). Although these two species have a deleterious impact on the environment, only four permanent SO2 monitors have been are dissatisfied by what they consider as insufficient information, from both the government and the oil and gas sector, and the communities are also concerned with the perception o f a lack of transparency with respect to specific oil and gas activities (Fraser Basin Council, 2013).…”

“…Previous research has shown that SO2 and NO2 are the dominant species among all gaseous air pollutants in Northeastern B.C. and these pollutants are emitted from the various stages o f oil and gas production including the processing (e.g., flares, engines, and compressors), distribution (e.g., leaks of pipelines and flanges), and storage (e.g., vaporization from storage tanks) (Krzyzanowski, 2012). Besides this, unconventional natural gas development consists of two main phases: well development and production, and individual well development involves three stages: pad preparation, well drilling and well completion (US EPA, 2010).…”

“…about increasing air pollution resulting from accelerating natural gas production (Fraser Basin Council, 2013;Krzyzanowski, 2012;MoE, 2014) without simultaneous implementation o f available technological advances to control emissions (Krzyzanowski, 2009 stages o f oil and gas activities but mostly from the production phase such as processing (flares, engines, and compressors), distribution (leaks o f pipelines and flanges), and also from storage tanks as vaporization (Krzyzanowski, 2012). However, oil and gas industries are not required to report to the NPRI the emissions during the well development phase (e.g., in pilot phase or in exploration or drilling phase) (http://ec.gc.ca/inrpnpri/default.asp?lang=En&n=02C767B3-C9FD-4DD7-8072).…”

“…NO2 and SO2 are gaseous species that undergo chemical and/or physical reactions in the atmosphere and contribute to acidic deposition in terrestrial ecosystems as dry-deposited gases or in dissolved form in precipitation, fog, and cloud (Cox, 2003) and also may impact on human health through a number o f environmental pathways (Krzyzanowski, 2012). In aerosol form, they can also impact visibility while NO2 as a precursor to the formation of photochemical oxidants can also lead to direct impact on human health (Cox, 2003).…”