Central PA Medicine - Spring 2017 - 20

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Community, Health & Wellness

presents to his or her doctor with an incidence
of worsening asthma. Some of these asthma
exacerbations even resulted in severe episodes
requiring hospitalization. Increased risks for
asthma exacerbations for those living close
to a gas well were as high as 300%!
Dr. Schwartz has also found that there is a
significant connection between living within
range of an active well pad and complaints
of chronic sinusitis, chronic fatigue and
recurrent migraine. These studies found an
88 percent increased risk for chronic sinus
conditions for those living close to a natural
gas well.

and dengue virus, warmer water-driven
flooding which increases water-borne disease
exposure rates, and global destabilization of
food systems by increased droughts which
causes hunger and famine. Dr. Saberi noted
that between 2030 and 2050, climate change
is expected to cause an additional 250,000
deaths per year for the above-mentioned
reasons! With methane leakage from natural
gas wells, pipelines, and aging urban and
suburban gas line infrastructure amounting
to 12% of the natural gas that is produced, it
is safe to say that natural gas development is
a serious environmental threat to our health
as well as the health of future Pennsylvanians.

Equally concerning are Dr. Schwartz's
studies on birth outcome and exposure to
natural gas drilling. This work showed that a
mother is 40% more likely to have a preterm
delivery if she lives within 20km of a natural
gas well during her pregnancy!

With over 10,000 active unconventional
natural gas wells in the state of Pennsylvania,
and with growing concern over the medical
implications of these wells, the student
Physicians for Social Responsibility feel that
this is a particularly relevant and important

A professor of Yale University's School of
Public Health, Dr. Nicole Deziel's presentation, entitled, "Environmental Health
and Justice Impacts of Unconventional Oil
and Gas Development in Ohio," detailed
some of the health effects of the over 1,100
chemicals used to inject into the ground
as part of natural gas development. Of the
1,100 chemicals known to be used in these
processes, Dr. Deziel found that 167 of them
are known to have negative effects on the
reproductive system and an additional 55
are known to cause cancer. Dr. Deziel also
noted that more than 9 million people are
currently living within 1 mile of a natural
gas well.
The final presenter, Dr. Pouné Saberi, an
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
physician and national and Philadelphia
board member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, outlined the effects of methane
as a contributor to climate change. Methane
is a large component of natural gas and is
86 times more potent than carbon dioxide
as a greenhouse gas, which means that its
uncontrolled emissions will speed up climate
disturbance. Increased climate disturbances
cause a host a health problems including
increases in vector-borne diseases like malaria
20 Spring 2017 Central PA Medicine

area for physician advocates to more fully
understand. Dr. Saberi and many others have
said it: now is the time to transition to safe
renewable energy. It is becoming imperative
not only for the health and stability of the
climate, but for the safety and health of the
people of Pennsylvania. The work presented
at the April 26th symposium indicated that
there are multiple connections between
natural gas development and negative health
outcomes. As the research unfolds about the
health impacts of unconventional natural gas
drilling, it is becoming clear that natural gas
is not a viable bridge fuel to renewable energy.
Natural gas and the industrial practices
required for its development are posing actual
threats to the health of Pennsylvanians. At
the very least, as the Pennsylvania Medical
Society called for in October 2016, it is time
to stop new development of natural gas until
these important health consequences can be
studied further.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central PA Medicine - Spring 2017
