Environmental Health Management nursing paper

Environmental Health Management nursing paper
Hydraulic Fracturing
Commonly referred to as fracking, hydraulic fracturing is a technical process through which natural oil or gas is extracted from beneath the earth, where they are trapped in tight rocks. The rocks are so impermeable that they would require extreme pressures to crack them open to release the oil beneath. In the fracking process, large amounts of a mixture of water, chemicals and sand are injected into deep rock formations at high pressures to allow passage of trapped oil and gas through the cracked rocks to the surface of the earth (Smith & Montgomery, 2015). This process of energy production was first commercially implemented in 1950, and it was successful. It is currently a major source of income generator to the U.S. through exportation of crude oil (Smith & Montgomery, 2015).

The most significant health risk associated with fracking

The most significant health risk associated with fracking is due to air pollution. Residents near the fracking sites are more susceptible to the health effects of air pollution due to fracking. Venting, leakage, and combustion of gases and byproducts of the process have been established to cause and worsen serious respiratory illnesses. Some of the gases released in the process are methane, toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (Smith & Montgomery, 2015). These gases are released during the production, processing, transmission, and distribution stages of the hydraulic fracking process.

The main gas produced during these processes is methane, which has a potent capacity of trapping heat more than 80 times more than carbon dioxide. This characteristic makes methane accelerate the adverse health impacts due to climate change. General exposure to the gaseous byproducts of fracking has several health impacts to the respiratory system. This includes mild to severe respiratory problems, including a risk of lung disease and lung cancer (Fedan, 2020). Other related conditions due to air pollution include a risk of cardiovascular damage, disruption of endocrine functions, congenital anomalies, cancer, and premature deaths (Fedan, 2020). The risk is even higher for the industry workers who are on-site as they have a longer exposure time to the chemicals.

Improvement processes to reduce the risk levels

Despite the immense economic benefits associated with the fracking benefits, the adverse health impacts cannot be ignored, especially since they are serious and terminal. Several agencies have tried to fight through legal processes to protect people from the probable risk factors due to unrestrained fracking. The most significant area that the government and the relevant authorities can address to improve the processes and ultimately reduce health risks is the establishment and implementation of strong standards to limit air pollution.

Even though it is known that there are adverse health impacts due to air pollution at the fracking sites, there is little information available to the public regarding the individual constituents of the energy being released and the pollutants. There are no federal requirements for these companies to report the chemicals they use. In case of state provisions, the reporting is poorly enacted. There is also limited data regarding testing the quality of air and water. Consequently, health care providers are unable to establish the etiology of the illnesses they are managing. Therefore, full disclosure of the constituents of all the components and products of the fracking process, and testing for the safety levels of air and water is a significant step towards the mitigation of the health risks. Making all this information available to the public allows even researchers to dig deep into the hazardous chemicals and come up with better prevention and management strategies.

Major global health issues related to climate change

The progressive change in climate continues to affect human health in several ways. It either exacerbates the existing health conditions or causes new health problems. Climate change affects several aspects of the environment that have a direct impact on human health. These aspects include the quality of air, safety of shelter, the quality and quantity of drinking water, and the availability of food among others. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that there will be approximately 250,000 deaths annually due to the effects of climate change between 2030 and 2050 (WHO, 2020).

Climate change has a significant impact on mental health. First, the physical effects of extreme hot weather conditions such as injury, and displacement from homes can be stressful to the individuals who are affected (WHO, 2020). The effects of heat also lead to increased irritability, lethargy and heat stress in people with mental health conditions. Studies indicate that higher temperatures are associated with increased depression and exacerbation of mental health conditions. Increased temperatures also interfere with the mechanisms of action of certain psychotropic drugs; therefore, extra caution is required during such weather conditions for people on these medications (WHO, 2020).

Another significant health issue regarding climate change is the projected increase in the prevalence of infectious diseases. WHO predicts a likelihood of more insect-transmitted infections and water-borne illnesses as a result of climate change (WHO, 2020). This is attributed to the changes in rainfall patterns and increased length of seasons during which the vectors transmit the infections.

A model to mitigate the negative effects of climate change

Models used to mitigate the negative effects of climate change are aimed at minimizing the flow of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere through two ways. One model can address the reduction of the sources of these gases, and another one can address the ways in which these greenhouse gases can be stored so that they don’t stay in the atmosphere. Governments of developed countries could build upon the reduction of the sources of these gases since it is easier and more of a preventive measure. Strategies to address reduction in the production of these gases include use of sustainable transports systems.

The main gas produced by transport systems is carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas and actively contributes to the global warming effects associated with climate change. The transport sector is responsible for 30% CO2 emissions in the developed countries, which is a large percentage. With effective implementation of public intervention strategies such as encouraging use of public transport, and installation of innovative vehicle technologies, CO2 emissions can be reduced significantly.

Health risks associated with wastes produced during fracking

One of the waste products of fracking is water. Surface water that is used for both domestic and commercial purposes can be contaminated through spillage or water pits that are not constructed properly or escape during the fracking process (Smith & Montgomery, 2015). Possible leakage of methane gas into water that escapes to contaminate the environment further contributes to the pollution. According to Fedan (2020), out of the approximate 2,500 additives used in the fracking process, 652 were confirmed to contain at least one of the 29 known potential carcinogenic compounds listed by the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air Act due to the risk they pose to human health. In a study that determined the effects of chemicals in the fracking process on human health 73% of these products caused about six to fourteen different adverse effects to different organ systems. The effects include cancers, eye problems, sensory organ damage, breathing problems, and liver disease among others (Fedan, 2020).

Similarly, silica is one of the waste products that is released into the air in the form of dust, and it has potential adverse health effects. Exposure to silica dust during the fracking process could result in silicosis (Fedan, 2020). The on-site workers are more at risk of this condition since they are closely exposed to this chemical and have a longer period of exposure.

Ethical concerns

The main ethical concern in the fracking process is the full disclosure of information. Based on the Rights Theory, those whole experience the effects of the fracking process, ranging from noise, water to air pollution, have the right to information regarding the potential harm to the water they consume and the associated environmental effects. However, the companies in collaboration with the government are not willing to fully disclose information regarding the chemicals in the products used. They also do not allow researchers to perform investigations on the waste products of the process.

Another ethical concern is the economic development at the expense of public safety. Debates have been conducted ever since to discuss if the harms due to fracking against its benefits are worth shutting down the process. It was concluded that despite the health risks, the economic returns have been generous with the generation of a rare commodity that is in high demand. However, this remains an ethical concern since human life is precious and cannot be compared to monetary things.

Strategy to address the issues

To make the fracking process a safer operation even to those living near the fracking sites, the companies should loosen their regulations on access to information, particularly to researchers. More insight into the procedures and the chemicals used and released into the environment as by products can inform the development of new innovative technologies that safely trap the waste products and dispose in a safe manner.

Government regulations

The government has laid down several measures to ensure that the population and the environment are protected from the hazardous effects of the waste products of fracking process. First, there are established standard guidelines for the disposal of wastewater and stormwater, as per the EPA. Since 2016, there have been established pretreatment standards for the oil and gas extraction category which forbid discharging of wastewater to improper regions (EPA, 2017). Second, it is a requirement as per the EPA standards for fracking companies to re-use the wastewater depending on the amount of pollutants, which contributes significantly to reduction of discharges and conservation of water resources (EPA, 2017). Third, in conjunction with the Clean Air Act, the federal government requires fracking companies are to report on more the emissions of hazardous pollutants (EPA, 2017).

 References

Fedan, J. S. (2020). Biological effects of inhaled hydraulic fracturing sand dust. I. Scope of the investigation.

Smith, M. B., & Montgomery, C. (2015). Hydraulic fracturing. Crc Press.

The World Health Organization, WHO. (2020). Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health-topics/climate-change

United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. (2017). Unconventional Oil and Gas Development. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/uog

 

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