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Evaluation of Impact of Shale Gas Operations in the Barnett Shale Region on Volatile Organic Compounds in Air and Potential Human Health Risks



We are pleased to announce the publication of a recent study by ToxStrategies’ scientists that was designed to evaluate potential community-wide exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air in the Barnett Shale region as a means of assessing the potential impact of shale gas production activities on human health. The publication, titled Evaluation of Impact of Shale Gas Operations in the Barnett Shale Region on Volatile Organic Compounds in Air and Potential Human Health Risks, was published in Science of the Total Environment, and is available online via Open Access at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969713010073 This study represents the first-ever, large scale evaluation of potential health impacts from shale gas operations based on an analysis of measured chemical concentrations of VOCs in ambient air. As a part of this study, we reviewed more than 4.6 million data points generated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) via their extensive air monitoring network in the Barnett Shale region. This region of Texas contains one of the largest, most active gas fields in North America, stretching across 5000 square miles and with an estimated 15,870 producing wells as of 2011. Based on our comprehensive assessment we concluded that shale gas production activities have not resulted in community-wide exposures to VOCs at levels that would pose a health concern. Given the high density of active wells in this region, our findings may be useful for understanding potential health risks in other shale play regions.