Living near or downwind of unconventional oil and gas development linked with increased risk of early death

 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/941229

 

 News Release 27-Jan-2022
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

 

Elderly people living near or downwind of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD)—which involves extraction methods including directional (non-vertical) drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking—are at higher risk of early death compared with elderly individuals who don’t live near such operations, according to a large new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The results suggest that airborne contaminants emitted by UOGD and transported downwind are contributing to increased mortality, the researchers wrote. 

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