Oil drilling has been linked to cancer, as well as many other health problems, for people forced to breathe the toxic, chemical-laden air in neighborhoods near wells. And when these wells leak—and there are always some leaks—there’s the hazard of these same chemicals entering the water supply, and they have.
Need proof? A recent peer-reviewed study from the University of Manitoba found a higher rate of cancer among populations living downriver from the Athabasca oil sands in Canada, where they are using steam injection and other high intensity techniques. The study also found high concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and heavy metals—like arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and selenium—in kidney and liver samples of wildlife.
According to the EPA, oil production emits many toxic substances, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) as well as n-hexane and volatile organic compounds. Benzene alone is a carcinogen known to be associated with leukemia and other cancers. In one documented case, after parents raised concerns about excessive cases of childhood leukemia in the suburban community of Flower Mound, Texas, University of Austin researchers found rates of childhood leukemia were significantly higher than expected near drilling operations in the community.
A lot of people say if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t eat it. Well, if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t bathe in it, drink it, or breathe it, either.
This article appears in Oct 2-9, 2014.