Drew Michanowicz: Characterization of health damaging air pollutants in natural gas
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Every day, millions of Americans rely on natural gas to power appliances such as kitchen stoves and water heaters but few stop to ask: what is natural gas?
Industry reporting and research tell us that at the point when natural gas is extracted from the ground it contains 60%-90% methane. The remaining percentages are made up of inert gasses like nitrogen as well as other hydrocarbons and impurities, including volatile organic compounds—many of which are considered hazardous air pollutants. However, as natural gas travels through the transmission and distribution system—the vast network of pipes and equipment that deliver gas to consumers—its composition changes. This is due to many factors such as how the gas is processed and stripped of impurities. While it is generally understood that processing decreases the concentration of hazardous air pollutants in natural gas, very little data exists on the composition of natural gas when it reaches consumers.
Because natural gas is used to power indoor appliances in close proximity to people, when leaks occur, even small amounts of hazardous air pollutants could impact indoor air quality. Additionally, persistent outdoor natural gas leaks located throughout the distribution system could degrade outdoor air quality. Lastly, because recent research has shown that small leaks in cities may be more frequent than we think, more research is needed to determine why we can’t smell these leaks.
Bio
Dr. Drew Michanowicz, DrPH, MPH, CPH is a Senior Scientist at PSE Healthy Energy and visiting scientist with the Center for Climate, Health, and Global Environment (C-CHANGE) at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Trained in environmental and occupational health, his research centers on the poorly communicated human health and safety costs of our present and future energy choices. He has extensive experience in indoor and atmospheric air pollution monitoring and exposure research with applications to both urban settings and natural gas development. In 2008, he co-developed FracTracker – a geo web-based tool designed to facilitate public engagement around emerging shale gas extraction in PA. More recently, his research has focused on hazards posed by midstream and downstream systems of the natural gas supply chain as well as impacts on end-user indoor air quality.
Dr. Michanowicz is a nationally board-certified public health practitioner and received both a Master’s and Doctorate of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. In 2015, Dr. Michanowicz was awarded the NatureNet Science Fellowship with the Nature Conservancy and he completed his postdoctoral work in the Environmental Health Department at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
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