Occupational and environmental health problems of the developing oil shale industry: A review

Rom, William N.; Lee, Jeff; Craft, Bobby F.

doi:10.1002/ajim.4700020306

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Ethnographic approaches can serve as one way to evaluate community health outcomes related to unconventional oil and gas developments, a growing need identified by health care practitioners, researchers, and government agencies [2,3,5,7,17]. As illustrated by the examples from ongoing ethnographic fieldwork in communities living near Marcellus Shale gas wells, compressor stations, and pipeline routes in northeastern Pennsylvania, these approaches show potential usefulness in systematically documenting the psychological, sociocultural, and environmental determinants of health.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The term onshore unconventional oil and gas developments refers broadly to the activities and technologies used for extracting hydrocarbon resources from oil and gas shale, tight gas and tar sands, heavy oil reservoirs, and coal beds [1]. As the pace of exploration, drilling, extraction, and processing of shale oil and gas across North America has increased, medical doctors, research scientists, and federal agencies have raised concerns about the public health implications of the environmental and social changes that result from these developments [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Many of these public health concerns relate to air and water pollution from industrial facilities and accidents related to these developments.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Using Ethnography to Monitor the Community Health Implications of Onshore Unconventional Oil and Gas Developments: Examples from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale

Perry

2013

New Solut

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The ethnographer's toolbox has within it a variety of methods for describing and analyzing the everyday lives of human beings that can be useful to public health practitioners and policymakers. These methods can be employed to uncover information on some of the harder-to-monitor psychological, sociocultural, and environmental factors that may lead to chronic stress in individuals and communities. In addition, because most ethnographic research studies involve deep and long-term engagement with local communities, the information collected by ethnographic researchers can be useful in tracking long- and short-term changes in overall well-being and health. Set within an environmental justice framework, this article uses examples from ongoing ethnographic fieldwork in the Marcellus Shale gas fields of Pennsylvania to describe and justify using an ethnographic approach to monitor the psychological and sociocultural determinants of community health as they relate to unconventional oil and gas development projects in the United States.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Using Ethnography to Monitor the Community Health Implications of Onshore Unconventional Oil and Gas Developments: Examples from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale

Perry

2013

New Solut

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“…In industrially contaminated areas, many different human health effects have been documented, such as increased mortality and morbidity rates, hospital admissions, and reproductive outcomes [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. In Italy, an analysis of 44 industrially contaminated sites showed an excess of deaths [ 16 ] and an analysis of 17 sites showed an increase in the incidence of cancer [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Residents’ Self-Reported Health Effects and Annoyance in Relation to Air Pollution Exposure in an Industrial Area in Eastern-Estonia

Orru

Idavain

Pindus

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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Eastern Estonia has large oil shale mines and industrial facilities mainly focused on electricity generation from oil shale and shale oil extraction, which produce high air pollution emissions. The “Study of the health impact of the oil shale sector—SOHOS” was aimed at identifying the impacts on residents’ health and annoyance due to the industrial processing. First, a population-wide survey about health effects and annoyance was carried out. Second, the total and oil shale sectors’ emitted concentrations of benzene, phenol, and PM2.5 were modelled. Third, the differences between groups were tested and relationships between health effects and environmental pollution studied using multiple regression analysis. Compared to the control groups from non-industrial areas in Tartu or Lääne-Viru, residents of Ida-Viru more frequently (p < 0.05) reported wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, a long-term cough, hypertension, heart diseases, myocardial infarction, stroke, and diabetes. All health effects except asthma were reported more frequently among non-Estonians. People living in regions with higher levels of PM2.5, had significantly higher odds (p < 0.05) of experiencing chest tightness (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02–1.26), shortness of breath (1.16, 1.03–1.31) or an asthma attack (1.22, 1.04–1.42) during the previous year. People living in regions with higher levels of benzene had higher odds of experiencing myocardial infarction (1.98, 1.11–3.53) and with higher levels of phenol chest tightness (1.44, 1.03–2.00), long-term cough (1.48, 1.06–2.07) and myocardial infarction (2.17, 1.23–3.83). The prevalence of adverse health effects was also higher among those who had been working in the oil shale sector. Next to direct health effects, up to a quarter of the residents of Ida-Viru County were highly annoyed about air pollution. Perceived health risk from air pollution increased the odds of being annoyed. Annoyed people in Ida-Viru had significantly higher odds of experiencing respiratory symptoms during the last 12 months, e.g., wheezing (2.30, 1.31–4.04), chest tightness (2.88, 1.91–4.33 or attack of coughing (1.99, 1.34–2.95).

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“…2 scrotum , while the rema inder occurred on the arms, hands, or face. \1\e did not find any cases of scrotal cancer in our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Morbidity Survey of U.S. Oil Shale Workers Employed During 1948–1969

Rom

Krueger²,

Zone

et al. 1985

Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal

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The health status of 325 oil shale workers employed at the Anvil Points, Colorado, demonstration facility from 1948 to 1969 was evaluated. As a comparison population, 323 Utah coal miners frequency matched for age were studied. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among oil shale workers who smoked were similar to the coal miners who smoked, although nonsmoking oil shale workers had fewer symptoms compared to nonsmoking coal workers. Four cases of skin cancers were found on the oil shale workers and eight cases in the controls. Similar numbers of nevi, telangiectasiae, possible pitch warts, pigment changes (solar/senile lentigo), and papillomata (seborrheic keratoses and skin tags) were seen in both groups, while actinic keratoses were more frequent in the oil shale workers. The prevalence of actinic keratoses was significantly associated with oil shale work after allowing for age, sun exposure, and other exposures. The prevalence of pulmonary cytology metaplasia was associated with years of production work in oil shale among both smokers and exsmokers. More of the oil shale workers had atypical cells in the urine, but the excess was mostly found among exsmokers. Although these workers had short-term and limited oil shale exposure work exposure, we recommend that medical surveillance of oil shale workers consider the skin, respiratory, and urinary systems for special observation.

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Occupational and environmental health problems of the developing oil shale industry: A review

Cited by 10 publications

References 16 publications

Using Ethnography to Monitor the Community Health Implications of Onshore Unconventional Oil and Gas Developments: Examples from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale

Using Ethnography to Monitor the Community Health Implications of Onshore Unconventional Oil and Gas Developments: Examples from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale

Residents’ Self-Reported Health Effects and Annoyance in Relation to Air Pollution Exposure in an Industrial Area in Eastern-Estonia

Morbidity Survey of U.S. Oil Shale Workers Employed During 1948–1969

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