Unconventional natural gas development and hospitalizations: evidence from Pennsylvania, United States, 2003-2014.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To examine relationships between short-term and long-term exposures to unconventional natural gas development, commonly known as fracking, and county hospitalization rates for a variety of broad disease categories. STUDY DESIGN:This is an ecological study based on county-level data for Pennsylvania, United States, 2003-2014. METHODS:We estimated multivariate regressions with county and year fixed effects, using two 12-year panels: all 67 Pennsylvania counties and 54 counties that are not large metropolitan. RESULTS:After correcting for multiple comparisons, we found a positive association of cumulative well density (per km2) with genitourinary hospitalization rates. When large metropolitan counties were excluded, this relationship persisted, and positive associations of skin-rel

SUBMITTER: Denham A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6408296 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature