Session 3: How Dangerous is Natural Gas Drilling for Pregnant Women?

Susceptibility During Pregnancy: What You

Need to Know Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

Today’s presentation: �  Why are we especially concerned about women

during pregnancy

�  What is fracking? And associated unconventional oil and gas drilling…

�  Health concerns related to fracking

�  What you can do!

Exposures during

pregnancy matter

Water Use and Contamination

�  1 million gallons of water per frack

�  200 water trucks per frack

�  40,000 gallons of chemicals per frack

�  A well can be fracked 10 or more times

Water Pollution �  Temporary holding

sites

�  Permanent Storage Tanks

�  Re-injected at the site

�  Deep-well injected elsewhere

�  Illegally dumping (spraying)

�  Legal spraying

Water Pollution �  BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes)

�  Other chemicals use in fracking process

�  Methane

�  Arsenic

�  Radium

Methane Pollution

Arsenic & other solids

353 Chemicals from 944 products identified in use for

fracking �  75% skin, eye, respiratory, and digestive problems

�  40 – 50% brain/nervous system, immune system, cardiovascular and kidney problems

�  37% endocrine disrupting

�  25% cancer causing or mutagenic

BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes)

Contaminated well water

Air pollution Traffic accidents Damaged roads Congestion

Air Pollution “Side Effects” �  Ground level ozone –

�  Asthma

�  Chronic lung disease �  Premature aging of

the lungs �  Poor birth outcomes

Air pollution pregnancy impacts

�  Birth defects – heart and brain/spine

�  Low birth weight

�  Lower Apgar Scores: �  Appearance (skin coloration) �  Pulse (heart rate) �  Grimace response

�  Activity and muscle tone �  Respiration (breathing rate and

effort)

Other Health Effects of Fracking

�  Nausea and Vomiting

�  Nose Bleeds

�  Flu-like symptoms

�  Headaches

Social “Side Effects” �  Increased “drinking while driving” arrests

�  Increased sexually-transmitted diseases

�  Increased use of social and health services

�  Displaced seniors and other vulnerable populations

Why don’t we know more? �  Non-disclosure by the industry

�  Non-disclosure agreements on settlements with industry

�  Gag orders on health care providers

�  Little to no research funding from government sources

�  Science is very new

What you can do

Test your well water

Be Aware of the Air

Monitor symptoms

Talk to your neighbors

Consider the products you use

Get involved!

Resources �  The Endocrine Disruption Exchange:

http://endocrinedisruption.org/

�  Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Fracking site: www.frackingandhealth.org

�  Main ANHE site: www.enviRN.org

�  Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units: http://aoec.org/pehsu/documents/hydraulic_fracturing_2011_parents_comm.pdf

Thank you! Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM

[email protected] 240-753-3729