Dr. Arbor Quist, College of Public Health, Epidemiology
Dr. Courtney Lynch, College of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Olorunfemi Adetona, College of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences
SUMMARY
Preter birth and low birth weight continue to be significant public health issues in the United States. These adverse birth outcomes are strong predictors of perinatal morbidity and mortality and can contribute to long-term health issues. Exposure to environmental toxicants during pregnancy is a significant contributing factor to preterm birth. In particular, studies have found an association between exposure to active oil and gas (O&G) wells and adverse birth outcomes. However, these studies have largely ignored other components of O&G development, including compressor stations, injection wells, and the road spreading of O&G wastewater.
Examining the perinatal effects of these O&G activities is vital in Ohio due to the prevalence of O&G activities in the state, with a quarter of Ohioans living within 1 mile of a well.
High-volume hydraulic fracturing produces over 100 billion gallons of O&G wastewater each year in the US, most of which is injected into injection wells and some of which is spread on roads. Ohio receives large volumes of O&G wastewater from neighboring states, and this wastewater contains various reproductive and developmental toxicants, including heavy metals and radioactive materials. Additionally, O&G incidents, including surface spills, leaks, and containment failures, can further spread toxicants. Ohioans are also exposed to pollutants from O&G development from compressor stations, where natural gas is repressurized along natural gas pipelines. No studies have examined the association between O&G development and preterm birth in Ohio, and no research has assessed this association incorporating various components of O&G infrastructure, including road spreading of wastewater, injection wells, producing wells, compressor stations, and incidents. To address these knowledge gaps, we aim to: (1) Create a map and geocoded database of O&G wastewater road spreading, O&G incidents, compressor stations, actively producing wells, and injection wells in Ohio by location and date; (2) Create a new comprehensive metric to estimate exposure to 0&G activity, incorporating these five O&G sources, across a 5x5 km grid of Ohio, triannually, 2010-2023 using principal components analysis and inverse distance-squared weighting; and (3) Examine the association between the new comprehensive metric of O&G and preterm birth and low birth weight. This project will provide preliminary data for an application to NICHD to enroll a birth cohort to further examine the association between O&G activities and birth outcomes.