A new study found that the natural gas supplied to the home contains low concentrations of some cancer-related chemicals. Researchers have also discovered inconsistent levels of odorants, which give the odor of “rotten eggs” characteristic of natural gas. This can increase the risk that small leaks will go undetected.
Published research Journal Environmental Science & TechnologyAdds to the growing number of studies linking the supply and use of natural gas to public health and climate-harmful consequences.
Most previous studies document the pollutants present where oil and gas extractions take place, but “as you go down the supply chain, less research is done,” said the lead author of the study. Drew Michanowicz said: Use it in our home. “
Over a 16-month period, researchers collected 234 unburned natural gas samples from 69 homes in the Boston metropolitan area and received natural gas from three suppliers. They have 21 “air poisons” (cancer, birth defects, or harmful pollutants known or suspected to cause environmental harm, including benzene detected in 95% of samples. Environmental Protection Agency classification) was discovered.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, short-term exposure to particularly high levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, and eye and skin irritation. Long-term exposure may increase the risk of certain cancers, such as blood disorders and leukemia.
Highly flammable chemicals are colorless or pale yellow and are found in products made from coal and petroleum such as plastics, resins and nylon fibers, as well as some types of rubber, dyes and pesticides. It is also regularly found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke and gasoline.
The concentration of benzene that researchers found in natural gas samples was “much lower than the amount of gasoline,” Dr. Mikanowich said in a telephone conference with reporters on Friday. Still, he said, “natural gas is so widely used in society and in our indoor spaces” that this finding is a concern.
According to the EPA, Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors. There, the concentration of some pollutants can range from 2 to 5 times the outdoor concentration.
Benzene is a carcinogen and increases exposure over time, so some experts suggest that there are no safe levels of exposure.
Researchers said the purpose of their study was to identify the existence and concentration of specific risks, and further research is needed to understand health risks.
“The biggest source of benzene in most people’s lives is gasoline from cars and smoking,” said Rob Jackson, a geoscientist at Stanford University who is not working on the study. “On the other hand, there is too much unwanted benzene in your home.”
Unburned natural gas also contained inconsistent levels of odorants or substances that gave off a perceptible odor, the researchers said. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is odorless, so odorous substances are added regularly to detect leaks.
Understand the latest news about climate change
“The less odor the natural gas stream contains, the more likely it is that a large leak will occur, even if it isn’t,” Dr. Mikanowich said on a phone call Friday.
Methane is a particularly powerful greenhouse gas when released into the atmosphere unburned.It can warm the earth 80 times or more As the same amount of carbon dioxide in 20 years. Oil and gas companies have been criticized in recent years for their large, invisible methane emissions, often on a large scale.
Cities nationwide that are trying to phase out natural gas connections to homes and businesses, prioritizing electricity alternatives, primarily because of the impact of continued fossil fuel combustion on emissions. is increasing.
A new study suggests that leaks of natural gas not only release methane, but also air poisons that can be harmful to public health, co-author of the study at a pediatrician. Curtis Nordguard said. “You may want to rethink these leaks not only as a climate issue, but as a health issue,” he said.
Dr. Nordgaard, like Dr. Michanowicz, is a senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, a non-profit research institute focused on the public health and climate impacts of energy production.
In this study, researchers said they hope to bridge the gap between availability and transparency of gas composition data. US pipeline operators and gas suppliers generally test gas compositions in line with recommendations from the North American Energy Standards Board, an industry organization that sets standards for the natural gas and electricity markets.
However, gas composition tests typically measure only the 16 most abundant components of natural gas. This list does not include some of the ingredients identified by the researcher, such as benzene.
