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PubMed v I By �� ""' `"— <br /> � � � .�. Gc;auty Clar <br /> Abstract F I text links <br /> 1, 15x fora <br /> Sci Total Environ. 2012 May 1;424:79-87. doi: 10.1016r.scitotenv.2012.02.018. Epub 2012 Mar 22. <br /> Human health risk assessment of air emissions from development of <br /> unconventional natural gas resources. <br /> McKenzie LM1, Witter RZ, Newman LS, Adgate JL. <br /> Author information <br /> Abstract <br /> BACKGROUND: Technological advances (e.g. directional drilling, hydraulic fracturing), have led <br /> to increases in unconventional natural gas development(NGD), raising questions about health <br /> impacts. <br /> OBJECTIVES: We estimated health risks for exposures to air emissions from a NGD project in <br /> Garfield County, Colorado with the objective of supporting risk prevention recommendations in a <br /> health impact assessment (HIA). <br /> METHODS: We used EPA guidance to estimate chronic and subchronic non-cancer hazard <br /> indices and cancer risks from exposure to hydrocarbons for two populations: (1) residents living <br /> >'/2 mile from wells and (2) residents living <_ '/ mile from wells. <br /> RESULTS: Residents living <_ %2 mile from wells are at greater risk for health effects from NGD <br /> than are residents living >1/2 mile from wells. Subchronic exposures to air pollutants during well <br /> completion activities present the greatest potential for health effects. The subchronic non-cancer <br /> hazard index(HI) of 5 for residents<_ '/2 mile from wells was driven primarily by exposure to <br /> trimethylbenzenes, xylenes, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Chronic His were 1 and 0.4. for <br /> residents < '/2 mile from wells and >'/2 mile from wells, respectively. Cumulative cancer risks were <br /> 10 in a million and 6 in a million for residents living 5 I/2 mile and >'/2 mile from wells, respectively, <br /> with benzene as the major contributor to the risk. <br /> CONCLUSIONS: Risk assessment can be used in HIAs to direct health risk prevention <br /> strategies. Risk management approaches should focus on reducing exposures to emissions <br /> during well completions. These preliminary results indicate that health effects resulting from air <br /> emissions during unconventional NGD warrant further study. Prospective studies should focus on <br /> health effects associated with air pollution. <br /> Copyright©2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. <br /> PMID: 22444058 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <br />