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A Review of the Human Health Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Development

  • Environmental Epidemiology (J Braun, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review summarizes the recent epidemiologic literature examining health outcomes in communities living close to unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) and identifies areas requiring further study.

Recent Findings

To date, these studies have been primarily retrospective in design and used self-report of health symptoms or electronic health databases to obtain outcome information. Proximity to UNGD is often used as a surrogate for exposure. There is preliminary evidence linking respiratory outcomes, including asthma exacerbations, and birth outcomes, such as reduced fetal growth and preterm birth, to UNGD; however, results differ across study populations and regions.

Summary

Although small, the current body of literature suggests that living near UNGD may have negative health consequences for surrounding communities, but additional work using more granular estimates of exposure or personalized monitoring is urgently needed.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Box G-S121-2, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    Shaina L. Stacy

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  1. Shaina L. Stacy
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Correspondence to Shaina L. Stacy.

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Shaina L. Stacy declares no potential conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Environmental Epidemiology

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Stacy, S.L. A Review of the Human Health Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Development. Curr Epidemiol Rep 4, 38–45 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-017-0097-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-017-0097-9

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