A systematic evaluation of chemicals in hydraulic fracturing fluids and wastewater for reproductive and developmental toxicity
Hydraulic fracturing fluids and wastewater from unconventional oil and natural gas development contain hundreds of substances with the potential to contaminate drinking water. Challenges to conducting well-designed human exposure and health studies include limited information about likely causative agents. On June 2nd, 2016, Dr. Nicole Deziel dicussed a comprehensive evaluation of the potential reproductive and developmental toxicity of over 1,000 chemicals identified in hydraulic fracturing fluids or wastewater to prioritize those with potential for human health impact for future research.
Listen to the mp3 recording | Download the slide presentation
Dr. Deziel is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Health Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health and a member of the Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology. Dr. Deziel's research is designed to enhance understanding of the interface between exposure to environmental agents and human disease. She is focused on evaluating, improving, and developing exposure estimates for application in environmental epidemiologic studies. She has investigated several types of pollutants including pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Dr. Deziel is also investigating how environmental exposures are changing with new techniques for energy production (e.g., hydraulic fracturing) and climate change.
This presentation was the third in a three-part series of teleconference calls on how chemicals associated with unconventional oil and gas development may be affecting endocrine function, reproduction and prenatal development.
