VOA健康报道2023--Study Suggests Links Between Fracking, Health in Children

Study Suggests Links Between Fracking, Health in Children

Three new studies suggest links between natural gas wells and cases of cancer, asthma¹ and birth problems.

Children who lived closer to natural gas wells in heavily-drilled western Pennsylvania were more likely to develop lymphoma, a rare cancer, researchers found. Nearby residents³ of all ages had an increased chance of severe asthma, a lung disease⁴, and low birth weight.

The University of Pittsburgh did the studies.

The researchers found what they called strong connections between the gas industry activity called fracking and two health problems: asthma, and lymphoma in children. Lymphoma is a type of cancer less common among children.

The researchers were unable to say whether the drilling caused the health problems. The studies were not designed to do that. Instead, the researchers looked at health records to try to find out possible connections based on how close people lived to natural gas wells.

Gas industry groups say the studies had weaknesses, and had limited data.

In the cancer study, researchers found that children who lived within 1.6 kilometers of a gas well had five to seven times the chance of developing lymphoma compared with children who lived 8 kilometers or farther⁵ from a well. That is equal to about 60 to 84 lymphoma cases per million children living near wells. For kids living farther away, the number is 12 per million.

The researchers found that people with asthma who lived near wells were more likely to have severe reactions. However, researchers said they found no clear connection for severe reactions during periods when crews were building, drilling and fracking the well. Fracking is the process of putting liquid into the ground to extract⁶ natural gas.

The four-year, $2.5 million research project is coming to an end. It was established under pressure from the families of childhood cancer patients who live in the nation's largest natural gas reservoir⁷ in western Pennsylvania. A very rare form of bone cancer had been found in dozens of children and young adults in a heavily drilled area outside the city of Pittsburgh.

But the researchers said they found no connection between gas drilling and childhood leukemia, brain and bone cancers.

The researchers said their findings⁸ on early births and low birth weights among families living closer to gas wells were similar to the mixed results of similar studies. But it said babies born to mothers near active wells in production were about 28 grams lighter⁹ on average.

Edward Ketyer is a retired¹⁰ child doctor who sat on a board for the study. He said he expected that the studies would be similar to other research showing the "closer you live to fracking activity, the increased risk you have of being sick with a variety of illnesses."

A number of states have strengthened laws around fracking and waste disposal¹¹ over the past 10 years. However, researchers have said that it is still unclear how much toxic¹² substances the industry puts into the air, injects into the ground or produces as waste.

Large-scale fracking the past 20 years has made the United States into a worldwide oil and gas superpower.

But it also brought many protests¹³ about water and air pollution, as well as diseases¹⁴, in states including Texas, Colorado and Pennsylvania.

Words in This Story

drill — n. tool used for making holes in hard substances

resident² — n. someone who lives in a particular place

extract — v. to remove by pulling it out or cutting it out

reservoir — n. an extra supply of something

dozen — v. a group of 12 people or things

variety — n. a number or collection of different things or people

illness — n. a condition of being unhealthy in your body or mind

disposal — n. the act of throwing something away

toxic — adj. containing poisonous substances

1 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

2 resident   

a.居住的，居留的；住校的，住院的

参考例句：

• I've been resident in this place for five years. 我已经在这个地方住了五年。
• They engaged a resident tutor. 他们聘用了一名住家的家庭教师。

3 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 farther   

adj.更远的，进一步的；adv.更远的，此外；far的比较级

参考例句：

• I can throw the ball farther than you can.这个球我能比你扔得远。
• The farther hill is five kilometres away.那座更远的小山在五公里以外。

6 extract   

vt.取出，提取，获得，摘录；n.摘录，提出物

参考例句：

• The article was a choice extract from her writings.这篇文章是从她的著作中摘录出来的精粹。
• We can extract oil from olive.我们可以从橄榄中榨油。

7 reservoir   

n.水库，蓄水池；(人才等的)储藏，汇集

参考例句：

• The town is supplied with water from a reservoir.该城镇由小山中的一座水库供水。
• A large quantity of water is stored in the reservoir.水库存了大量的水。

8 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

9 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 disposal   

n.处理，消除，销毁，处置；弃菜碾碎器

参考例句：

• The safe disposal of nuclear waste is a major problem.安全处置核废料是个大问题。
• You had better discuss with her the disposal of the furniture.你最好和她讨论一下如何布置家具。

12 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

13 protests   

n.[体]抗议；抗议，反对( protest的名词复数 )v.声明( protest的第三人称单数 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• The protests have forced the government to back-pedal on the new tax. 抗议活动已迫使政府撤销新的税目。
• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。

14 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。