Health

Fracking and Health: Ask an Expert

TEDX conducts brief interviews with leading experts to get answers about health threats posed by unconventional oil and gas operations.

Episodes

12 episodes

The plastic lifecycle starts with oil and gas extraction and extends through manufacturing, consumer use, and waste management. David Azoula...

00:33:05Jun 19, 2019

Ethane, a byproduct of natural gas extraction, is used in ethylene production, the primary feedstock for plastic manufacturing. Steven Feit,...

00:15:35Jun 10, 2019

Millions of barrels of flowback and produced water, laden with toxic chemicals, come to the surface during oil and gas production. Dr. Isabe...

00:12:49May 27, 2019

The United States has over three million miles of pipelines used for gathering, transporting, and distributing natural gas and liquids, incl...

00:14:40Apr 1, 2019

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released along with methane during oil and gas operations and contribute to local and regional ozone f...

00:09:57Feb 16, 2019

Biocides may be released into the environment in produced water through spills, surface water disposal, or reuse, potentially impacting publ...

00:12:13Jan 16, 2019

As unconventional oil and gas extraction evolves, the scale of operations expands to include more wells, more chemicals, more sand, more emi...

00:17:01Dec 6, 2018

The uncertainty surrounding environmental and public health impacts of fracking can lead to individual and community stress. Dr. Stephanie M...

00:11:09Nov 12, 2018

“Beneficial reuse” of produced water, a byproduct of oil and gas development, includes road spreading for dust suppression and deicing. Dr....

00:11:57Oct 1, 2018

As fracking operations move closer to populated areas, communities are concerned about potential impacts on their health and safety. Dr. Gre...

00:12:18Sep 4, 2018

Industrial noise pollution is generated during development of an unconventional oil and gas well site. Dr. Michael McCawley, Clinical Associ...

00:11:42Jun 25, 2018

While many NGOs have worked with communities to enact fracking bans, there has been less success on the state level. Brooke Harper, Maryland...

00:13:20Jun 2, 2018