This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site.
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Authors: Martin Lavoie, Senior Scientist and Data Analyst, St. Francis Xavier University; David Risk, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Research Chair in Climate Science and Policy, St. Francis Xavier University; and Matthew Rygus, Research Assistant, FluxLab, St. Francis Xavier University
Around 13 per cent of Albertans live within 1.5 kilometres of an active oil or gas well. Given the link between oil and gas production and ill health, this leaves a significant proportion of the province’s population at risk.
But certain groups may be at a disproportionately greater risk, according to recent research our team published. Our study revealed stark socioeconomic disparities in those at the greatest risk of health problems due to their proximity to an oil or gas well — with Indigenous people and those who were less educated most affected.
The link between oil and gas production, air pollution and human health is well documented. Oil and gas production emits numerous pollutants into the air we breathe. These pollutants are associated with poor cardiovascular and respiratory health.
But while numerous studies have been published on the link between proximity to oil and gas producers and ill health, this data has mainly come from the United States — the world’s leading oil and gas producer. Relatively little research on this topic has been done in Canada. This is what our recent research sought to do.
Alberta residents
The study examined Alberta — the province which in 2023 was responsible for 80 per cent of Canada’s oil, and 61 per cent of its gas production. We analyzed multiple datasets including census, health, emissions and oil and gas activity data. This allowed our lab to create the first spatial understanding of oil and gas air pollution in Alberta.
This also made it possible to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of those living nearest the pollution’s source, alongside their experiences with cardiovascular or respiratory health issues.
The study found that over 360,000 Albertans live within one kilometre of an active oil or gas well. Nearly half a million people live within 1.5 kilometres of one. These are significant numbers considering the province only has around four million residents.
Albertans living within one or 1.5 kilometres of an active oil and gas well are more likely to be rural residents (10 per cent), people with less formal education (20 per cent) and Indigenous people (21 per cent).
Our findings align with previous studies which have shown that people with similar sociodemographic characteristics are more likely to experience worse health outcomes compared to the general population.
Unnervingly, our study also found that those living within at least 1.5 kilometres of an oil or gas well faced an estimated nine to 21 per cent higher risk of experiencing cardiovascular or respiratory issues due to their proximity. The closer a person lived to an oil or gas well, the greater their risk.
Although we adjusted our findings for age and sex, there was no information available in the datasets we used on other factors which may have affected the results, such as lifestyle habits or pre-existing health conditions. It will be important for more research to be conducted on this topic which takes these factors into account.
Health risks
Our findings align with other published studies on the topic which have found a link between health issues and proximity to oil and gas producers.
Notably, much of the oil and gas workforce are located in rural areas near production facilities. This may explain why our study found rural residents were more likely to experience health issues from oil and gas wells.
Our findings also align with research from the U.S. on this topic. For comparison, a 2022 study found nearly 18 million U.S. residents live within 1.6 kilometres of an active oil and gas well, with some states such as West Virginia and Oklahoma seeing over 50 per cent of their total population in this proximity. Research has also found similar socioeconomic disparities in exposure to oil and gas wells in the U.S. as our study did.
Our study highlights the need for more research on this topic, especially since it has been suggested that oil and gas emissions are often underestimated. It’s possible that even more people are impacted than our study determined.
It will also be important for studies to investigate the effects of specific oil and gas pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) on health. Currently in Alberta, regulations on the minimum distance between residents and oil and gas wells primarily focus on hydrogen sulphide levels.
Overlooking other relevant air pollutants may mean that minimum setbacks from pollution sources may be insufficient, especially given the impacts our study showed in those residing within 1.5 kilometres of an oil or gas well.
Nearly 100 countries produce oil and gas. Air emissions from this sector represent an urgent global problem. Targeted actions such as stricter policies for air emissions, as well as health risk assessments when building developments, are necessary to protect people living in these regions.
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David Risk receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Martin Lavoie and Matthew Rygus do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/albertas-oil-and-gas-wells-threaten-peoples-health-but-there-are-disparities-in-who-is-most-at-risk-249637
Martin Lavoie, Senior Scientist and Data Analyst, St. Francis Xavier University; David Risk, Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Research Chair in Climate Science and Policy, St. Francis Xavier University; and Matthew Rygus, Research Assistant, FluxLab, St. Francis Xavier University, The Conversation
