Homes near British Columbia hydraulic fracturing sites have higher levels of some pollutants, study finds

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VANCOUVER – A new study found that homes near places where fracking was used to extract natural gas in British Columbia have higher levels of certain organic pollutants, which can lead to short-term and long-term health effects.

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Elyse Caron-Beaudoin, lead author and professor at the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, said the researchers took water and air samples from the homes of 85 pregnant women in the Peace River area of ​​British Columbia. for one week.

Pregnant women were recruited for the study because of the potential negative health effects of living near natural gas wells through fracking, including higher rates of preterm birth, low birth weight and heart malformations, he said.

Fracking is a process that injects fluids deep down to release natural gas.

The study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment this week, measured a number of different chemicals in the homes of pregnant women and compared the results to the general Canadian population to see if there were any differences, he said.

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The researchers found that the number and proximity of natural gas wells to the home were linked to higher levels of certain chemical pollutants, they said in a news release.

Caron-Beaudoin said the results showed that air samples in homes near the natural gas well sites had higher levels of chemicals used in fracking, such as acetone and chloroform, and those same contaminants were found in the study subjects.

“We cannot say that the hydraulic fracturing activity was causing the acetone and chloroform levels in those residences, but we can say that they were associated with each other,” he said in an interview.

The study says there is a need to assess the health risks associated with fracking given the documented effects of prenatal exposure to volatile organic chemicals used in these operations, and the growing evidence suggesting associations with worse outcomes in the Birth.

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Caron-Beaudoin said the study also found higher levels of chemicals in the homes of indigenous study participants than others.

While the researchers aren’t sure why the levels were higher in indigenous households, they said it could be associated with ethnicity and socioeconomic status, all linked to higher health risks from industrial activities.

“There appears to be a disproportionate environmental burden on indigenous (peoples),” he said.

BC has about 10,000 active wells, and the study says the area could see their number increase to more than 100,000.

The BC Oil and Gas Commission said in an email response to the study that it is committed to protecting public safety and the environment in the area where oil and gas activities take place.

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He said he would review the study thoroughly to understand the findings.

“In northeastern British Columbia, there are fixed monitoring stations that record air quality data and ambient air monitoring equipment deployed in the field,” the statement said.

“In response to health concerns, the Ministry of Health conducted a three-phase human health risk assessment exploring concerns about human health risks related to oil and gas activities. The project started in 2012 and all phases have been completed ”.

Caron-Beaudoin said that Canada is one of the world’s largest natural gas producers, yet there are virtually no studies on the industry’s potential health impacts.

“So, I think it’s quite interesting and worthy of attention.”