According to Titan Engineering, the Engineering firm hired by BSEEC to conduct an air quality study in the Barnett Shale, the high levels of formaldehyde they detected are not coming from natural gas production. From the BSEEC/Titan Engineering air study final report:
“it is TITAN’s opinion that the elevated formaldehyde concentrations are not being caused by NG Site operations, but instead are being caused by both vehicular traffic and an unidentified source located to the near south/southwest of the NG Site. During the sampling event, TITAN field personnel did not [however] identify any type of emission source that could have caused or contributed to the formaldehyde concentrations”.
Fugitive emissions occur at every stage of natural gas production which means there is an awful lot of methane in the air around natural gas facilities. Look what happens when methane, sunlight and oxygen mix:
A Health Protection Agency publication about formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is produced in the atmosphere due to the degradation of methane by sunlight.
If a blogger can find this information, doesn’t it seem an environmental engineering firm might figure it out?
From the Health Protection Agency publication:
Health
- Due to its gaseous nature, inhalation and eye exposure are most likely
- Possible carcinogen, toxic and corrosive
- Inhalation of formaldehyde can lead to irritation of the nose, mouth and throat. In severe cases, respiratory distress and swelling of the larynx and lungs may occur
- Ingestion of formaldehyde can cause burns and ulcers in the stomach or intestines in the early stages after ingestion. Chest or abdominal pain, sickness, diarrhoea and haemorrhages in the stomach or intestines may also result. Other clinical features include rapid breathing, yellowish discolouration of the skin, blood in the urine and kidney failure
- Exposure of the eyes to formaldehyde causes immediate stinging and burning with spasm of the eyelids and tearing. High concentrations may cause burns to the cornea
- Skin contact with concentrated formaldehyde gas can cause burns to the skin
Formaldehyde is known to be a cancer causing substance and has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans. It may produce nasal cancer following repeated exposure via inhalation to levels that produce chronic irritation. Exposure to lower levels for shorter periods is not considered to present any carcinogenic risk.
Children will be affected by formaldehyde in the same way as adults. However, the effects seen in children may potentially be more severe.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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I think we need to find out more about Titan Lies & False Facts. Titan does at least most of their work directly for Industry, so is it any wonder that a business, whose future income and business is predicated on what the data NEEDS to be…i.e. "The benzene NEEDS to be OKAY." (Quote from hand written note from someone at the TCEQ, I'm guessing people pleaser Hildebrand) in order to secure that future business?
I'd also like to know what other environmental testing companies were even considered. I'm betting Ed Not Scientist Ireland created a set of criteria that only Titan could meet so as to exclude the few others who could even do the job.
Industry:
Lies, Damned Lies, Half-Truths and Deception. And some drilling on other people's property.
Until industry is forced to fix all the fugitive emissions and to stop venting, we can expect to have high levels of formaldehyde in our air.
"near south/southwest " are they blaming the power plant? I've been thinking about the source of the formaldehyde, some googling indicates just one of Caterpillar's G3606LE 1775HP is estimated to produce 1.174 lb/hr of formaldehyde. How many compressors are at this station? 8?
The power plant has reported ZERO releases of formaldehyde. I think Titan is hinting that it is the power plant. I think the owners of the power plant should have a talk with Titan and BSEEC for attempting to throw them under the bus.
The combustion is one source. I'm betting that the MAJOR source is what I have laid out in this post.
The amount of methane natural gas production is dumping into our atmosphere is astounding. As I've mentioned before, methane is the elephant in the room that industry hopes we do not see.
I know of one particular operator, rhymes with Tuba, whose geologists can only find mineral deposits that are 200-300 feet from someone's home. There could be literally hundreds of acres around it in open space, yet the only place to drill is right next to someone's home. What this means is that when these jackasses vent methane, they are practically already in your living room. Of course, if you can't see the methane elephant, you certainly can smell it.
But, according to Aruba president Larry Poston, that's not methane being vented, that's "Steam". That being the case, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about, right Larry?
Good job of reporting, Sharon. Didn't we learn a few months ago that north Texas air was the dirtiest in Texas BEFORE this formaldehyde report? How much dirtier can our air get??? I'm still waiting for a major study on NORM around gas wells.
I'd also like to know how many ppb of formaldehyde I can expect to ingest from sitting around a campfire vs. breathing the air in N. Texas from 20,000 gas wells vs. smoking cigarettes. Maybe Dr. Ed can find out for us.
More thoughts on possibillities:
Since formaldehyde is soluable in water, it could be produced at a compressor station and on calm cool mornings where dew and fog is present, it is dissolved in the fog/dew and moved slowliy along near the ground–then later when the wind changes direction and the dew/fog evaporates, the formaldahyde is then moved in a different direction. So the original source is not in the wind direction of the measurements.
There are a lot of ways to get low readings for toxins that are soluable in water vapors including CH2O, H2S and SO2 and to fool us about the sources.