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. 2022 Mar:82:102595.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102595. Epub 2022 Jan 30.

Drinking water, fracking, and infant health

Elaine L Hill  1 , Lala Ma  2
Affiliations

Drinking water, fracking, and infant health

Elaine L Hill et al. J Health Econ. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

This study assesses the health risks associated with drinking water contamination using variation in the timing and location of shale gas development (SGD). Our novel dataset, linking health and drinking water outcomes to shale gas activity through water sources, enables us to provide new estimates of the causal effects of water pollution on health and to isolate drinking water as a specific mechanism of exposure for SGD. We find consistent and robust evidence that drilling shale gas wells negatively impacts both drinking water quality and infant health. These results indicate large social costs of water pollution and provide impetus for re-visiting the regulation of public drinking water.

Keywords: Community water systems; Drinking water; Fracking; Ground water; Infant health; Shale gas development.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Gas Wells and Community Water Systems
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
New Well Bores Drilled by Year
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Water Quality Impacts Note. Figure plots water quality impacts of drilling for SGD and non-SGD chemicals. The continuous measures are the sampling results in logs and levels (ppm), and ‘St. Result,’ which refers to sampling results that are standardized with respect to the mean and standard deviation of contaminants in its chemical group. The dichotomous measures include detection (results greater than 0), ‘MCL’ (the federally enforceable threshold for water quality), and ‘MCL goal,’ a more stringent public health goal for water quality.
Figure 4:
Figure 4:
Birth Impacts of Drilling within Gestation
Figure 5:
Figure 5:
Impact of Drilling on Composite Index of Mother Characteristics Note. Figure plots the impact of drilling on a projection of birth outcomes on maternal characteristics and compares it to our main estimates of the birth impact. Specifically, we regress birth outcomes onto maternal characteristics, predict the outcomes based on thes characteristics, and then use the predicted outcomes as the dependent variable in our main specifications of interest.
Figure 6:
Figure 6:
Impacts by Mother’s Socioeconomic Status
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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