Leukemia risk higher for children living near oil and gas wells, finds study
worldwide
.
In leukemia, the abnormal cells, called blasts or leukemia cells, are not fully developed and cannot effectively fight infection. This leads to a decline in healthy blood cells, including red blood cells and platelets, and can cause various symptoms.
While the incidence of leukemia is rising, mortality rates are declining due to advancements in treatment. Leukemia, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), continues to be a significant global health concern with variations in burden across different regions and socioeconomic levels.
And now, a new study has revealed that children residing near oil and natural gas wells face a substantially higher risk of developing a rare form of childhood cancer.
Read on to know more.
A tale of two studies
Using a case‑control design comparing 451 children diagnosed with ALL to over 2,700 controls, Colorado researchers found that children aged 2–9 living within 3–8 miles of active wells were at least twice as likely to develop ALL. In high-intensity drilling zones, the risk doubled again.
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In Pennsylvania, a similar study covering 405 ALL cases found that living within 1.2 miles of a well at birth correlated with a two‑to‑three‑times higher risk by ages 2–7.
Let's delve deeper into the two defining studies.
Colorado study
Researchers in
Colorado
analyzed 451 ALL cases from 2002–2021 and compared them with 2,700 cancer-free peers using precise mapping techniques that measured both proximity to wells and drilling activity intensity.
Children living within 5 km of high-intensity sites had double the risk (OR=2.00) of developing ALL. Even within 13 km, the risk rose by 40–164%, depending on well activity levels. These results highlight a dose-response relationship; closer or denser well activity corresponds to higher leukemia risk.
Pennsylvania study
In
Pennsylvania
, 405 ALL cases diagnosed between 2009–2017 were compared to 2,080 controls. Children born within 1.2 miles (2 km) of oil and gas wells faced a two to three times greater risk of leukemia by age 7 compared to those born farther away.
The risk was notably elevated when mothers lived near wells during pregnancy, which emphasized a critical window of vulnerability.
The risk factor
Oil and gas wells emit leukemogenic chemicals, notably benzene, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), through venting, flaring, diesel traffic, and wastewater operations.
Benzene, as
research
has already shown, is a well-known blood cancer agent, accounting for nearly 95% of cancer risk estimates within 150 m of wells.
These pollutants can infiltrate air, soil, and water, potentially damaging children's bone marrow during sensitive developmental periods.
What to do then?
Current regulatory "setbacks" in the US vary widely, from 200 ft to 3,200 ft (≈1 km), but the new data suggests these distances may be insufficient. In Colorado, children within 13 km still exhibited elevated leukemia risk.
After this concerning data-driven research, researchers urge the implementation of more protective buffer zones around sensitive locations like homes, schools, and playgrounds.
They also put an emphasis to check for air quality and emission standards for existing and new wells, and recommend incorporation of cumulative exposure considerations in permitting decisions.
Scope for the future
Despite robust findings from the research, studies cannot establish causality or quantify the exact chemical exposure. McKenzie cautions that researchers did not measure individual benzene concentrations; rather, they deduced the risk based on proximity and drilling intensity.
As the researchers suggest, future research should expand to high-drilling states like Texas and California, examine links between exposure and other pediatric cancers (e.g., acute myeloid leukemia, lymphoma), and assess long-term health outcomes beyond ALL.
Study finds living near oil, gas wells increases air pollution exposure
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