“The SCHEER was requested to assess public health risks resulting from onshore oil and gas exploration and extraction activities on a commercial scale in the EU, and to identify knowledge gaps. Emissions from onshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation include biocides, scale and corrosion inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, surfactants, and various hydrocarbons such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs, like some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene etc.), as well as particulate matter and noise.
Some of these environmental factors are recognised carcinogens or contribute to the risk of other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular or neurological effects. A few studies have documented that exposures can be higher in the exploration, compared to the extraction phase of oil and gas. Few epidemiological studies have tried to characterise the possible impact of emissions from
onshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation on human health; the vast majority of these studies have been conducted outside the EU, generally in the USA. They have relied on relatively crude exposure estimates, which is likely to lead to attenuation of dose
response functions. These studies indicate that the risk of some cancers and of adverse birth outcomes may be increased in populations living around onshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation sites. The corresponding level of evidence is weak to moderate so that these associations cannot be ignored. Another possible consequence of onshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation relates to seismic activity, for which the level of evidence is moderate to strong.
The SCHEER suggests addressing these knowledge gaps by undertaking (i) a centralised and harmonised well-based inventory of all oil and gas exploration and exploitation sites in the EU; (ii) analytical and modelling studies that identify, quantify and characterise exposure mixtures and their levels in the vicinity of these sites; (iii) targeted biomonitoring studies of populations potentially at risk; (iv) large-scale epidemiological studies with accurate exposure assessment.
In the absence of additional strong evidence from such new well-conducted studies, it can be assumed that oil and gas exploration and exploitation sites do constitute a risk for the health of populations living around them. Given the number of studies around American oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities conducted so far, the scientific evidence pointing towards possible effects of these activities and the presence of similar onshore sites in the EU, the SCHEER expresses its surprise at the very poor scientific assessment of the possible effects of these activities in the EU.”