Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin
Abstract Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development, made possible by horizontal drilling and high‐volume hydraulic fracturing, has been fraught with controversy since the industry's rapid expansion in the early 2000's. Concerns about environmental contamination and public health risks p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2023-04-01
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| Series: | GeoHealth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000758 |
| _version_ | 1797825567413764096 |
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| author | Mario A. Soriano Jr. Joshua L. Warren Cassandra J. Clark Nicholaus P. Johnson Helen G. Siegel Nicole C. Deziel James E. Saiers |
| author_facet | Mario A. Soriano Jr. Joshua L. Warren Cassandra J. Clark Nicholaus P. Johnson Helen G. Siegel Nicole C. Deziel James E. Saiers |
| author_sort | Mario A. Soriano Jr. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development, made possible by horizontal drilling and high‐volume hydraulic fracturing, has been fraught with controversy since the industry's rapid expansion in the early 2000's. Concerns about environmental contamination and public health risks persist in many rural communities that depend on groundwater resources for drinking and other daily needs. Spatial disparities in UOG risks can pose distributive environmental injustice if such risks are disproportionately borne by marginalized communities. In this paper, we analyzed groundwater vulnerability to contamination from UOG as a physically based measure of risk in conjunction with census tract level sociodemographic characteristics describing social vulnerability in the northern Appalachian Basin. We found significant associations between elevated groundwater vulnerability and lower population density, consistent with UOG development occurring in less densely populated rural areas. We also found associations between elevated groundwater vulnerability and lower income, higher proportions of elderly populations, and higher proportion of mobile homes, suggesting a disproportionate risk burden on these socially vulnerable groups. We did not find a statistically significant association between elevated groundwater vulnerability and populations of racial/ethnic minorities in our study region. Household surveys provided empirical support for a relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and capacity to assess and mitigate exposures to potentially contaminated water. Further research is needed to probe if the observed disparities translate to differences in chemical exposure and adverse health outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:55:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1f98f4b5e9e456fb897bf171f6ef692 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2471-1403 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:55:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GeoHealth |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1f98f4b5e9e456fb897bf171f6ef6922023-05-17T04:35:48ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)GeoHealth2471-14032023-04-0174n/an/a10.1029/2022GH000758Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian BasinMario A. Soriano Jr.0Joshua L. Warren1Cassandra J. Clark2Nicholaus P. Johnson3Helen G. Siegel4Nicole C. Deziel5James E. Saiers6School of the Environment Yale University New Haven CT USADepartment of Biostatistics School of Public Health Yale University New Haven CT USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences School of Public Health Yale University New Haven CT USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences School of Public Health Yale University New Haven CT USASchool of the Environment Yale University New Haven CT USADepartment of Environmental Health Sciences School of Public Health Yale University New Haven CT USASchool of the Environment Yale University New Haven CT USAAbstract Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development, made possible by horizontal drilling and high‐volume hydraulic fracturing, has been fraught with controversy since the industry's rapid expansion in the early 2000's. Concerns about environmental contamination and public health risks persist in many rural communities that depend on groundwater resources for drinking and other daily needs. Spatial disparities in UOG risks can pose distributive environmental injustice if such risks are disproportionately borne by marginalized communities. In this paper, we analyzed groundwater vulnerability to contamination from UOG as a physically based measure of risk in conjunction with census tract level sociodemographic characteristics describing social vulnerability in the northern Appalachian Basin. We found significant associations between elevated groundwater vulnerability and lower population density, consistent with UOG development occurring in less densely populated rural areas. We also found associations between elevated groundwater vulnerability and lower income, higher proportions of elderly populations, and higher proportion of mobile homes, suggesting a disproportionate risk burden on these socially vulnerable groups. We did not find a statistically significant association between elevated groundwater vulnerability and populations of racial/ethnic minorities in our study region. Household surveys provided empirical support for a relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and capacity to assess and mitigate exposures to potentially contaminated water. Further research is needed to probe if the observed disparities translate to differences in chemical exposure and adverse health outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000758environmental justicegroundwater vulnerabilityhydraulic fracturingrisk assessmentunconventional oil and gas |
| spellingShingle | Mario A. Soriano Jr. Joshua L. Warren Cassandra J. Clark Nicholaus P. Johnson Helen G. Siegel Nicole C. Deziel James E. Saiers Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin GeoHealth environmental justice groundwater vulnerability hydraulic fracturing risk assessment unconventional oil and gas |
| title | Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin |
| title_full | Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin |
| title_fullStr | Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin |
| title_short | Social Vulnerability and Groundwater Vulnerability to Contamination From Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Appalachian Basin |
| title_sort | social vulnerability and groundwater vulnerability to contamination from unconventional hydrocarbon extraction in the appalachian basin |
| topic | environmental justice groundwater vulnerability hydraulic fracturing risk assessment unconventional oil and gas |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH000758 |
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