Stsci 4110 Categorical Analysis: Effects Assessment Answers

Categorical Analysis:

Answer:

Introduction

Shale & tight gas growth happens to be the main concern of controversy in the recent years. The shale and tight gas development is also called as the Unconventional Natural Gas Development.  The UNGD has a greater impact on the public health, geography, environment and economic growth and this has gained the attention of the law makers, media and has become the subject of debate in the recent years (Werner, Vink, Watt, & Jagals, 2014).  The research has found that by the end of the year 2015 there have more than 80% of the scientific papers published on the impact of UNGD since 2013 and around 60% of the scientific journals published by the end of the year 2014.  This shows that gravity of the topic and the researchers have taken the topic seriously for the study. The studies reflect how UNGD has an impact on environment and public health in the scientific community.  Although most of the studies have discussed on the impact of UNGD, still there are some gaps in the data and there is an inadequate quantity of epidemiology that has explored links between factors of the risk and outcomes of the health in the populations of human beings (Sharma & Maheshwari, 2016).

In this paper, I have tried to give an overview of the present scientific knowledge on the impending environmental hazards related to the public health.  Here I have tried to focus on the following points.

• To make an assessment of the present scientific literature and its weight & direction.
• To offer an inclusive list of work made in this field.
• The identification of the theme that has been studied by the individual researcher and the group studies.
• To make the map and categorize the present literature for the further studies in the future
• To offer a scope for the future study and assessments.

Methods of the study

In this assessment, I have conducted research using the database called PSE Database that offers information on UNGD. This is available at: https://www.psehealthyenergy.org/site/view/1180. There are around twelve subjects on which the scientific literature has been written. They are like the quality of air, climate, community, ecology, regulations of health, quality of water and usage of water.  The data available in the database over three periods were included.  For the collection of the data from the scientific literature I have used the following links.

• PubMed( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
• Web of Science ( https://www.webofknowledge.com)
• https://scholar.google.com

Scope of the study

In my study, I have taken the literature that discusses the potential or the real health outcomes. I have also taken the literature for the study which complains on the quality of the air and water that are related to the UNGD.  I have not taken the literature that is not just based on the public opinion or discuss the methods that are the research agenda for future study.

Category of framework

All the scientific literatures discuss the impact of UNGD on three important factors. They are on the public health, quality of water and quality of air. The positive findings have been indicated in the Category A.

Public Health

For the study of the impact of the UNGD, I have taken the original literature that makes an assessment of the actual health outcomes. For the A category I have taken positive evidences of the adverse health effect such as birth defects and medically admitted individual, health risks due to emissions of the pollutants, symptoms of the health reported by self,  health concerns that are related to the contamination in the environment (Madelon, Finkel, Hays, & Law, 2013).

Quality of the air

The category A includes the evidence of the literature that is related to study the estimation of the emissions of air that is beyond the limit of the recommended air quality of standards.

Quality of water

In the category A, I have included the literature that shows the evidences  linked with contamination of water like increase of concentrations of methane, heavy metals, salinity, pollutant concentrations in groundwater due to the waste water treatment (Urbana, 2011). The analysis of the microbial community states that it has an impact on the quality of water.

Results: Public Health

In my study, I have taken    original  research work that study  the UNGD and  its impact on the public health hazards, risks and results  In my study I have found that   journals discussed about the actual impact of UNGD  on health hazards which is around 90% of it. 10 % of the paper did not show any evidence for it (Barouki, Gluckman, Grandjean, Hanson, & Heindel, 2012).

Air Quality

I have studied about original research work that studies the UNGD and its impact on the air quality. I could find that studies have findings that UNGD adversely affect on the air pollution and on the atmospheric concentrations.  This was all about 85 % of the studies reflect that UNGD has adverse impact on the quality of the air. Around 15 % of the papers did not give spectacular evidence regarding the effects of the UNGD on the quality of the air..

Quality of the water

As per the criteria I have taken research papers that are considered as original literature and come under the category A of my study. I could find that research papers studied that UNGD has an adverse impact on the quality of water. The research advocated that contamination of water is done due to UNGD. 10% of the research did not offer any data on the role of UNGD in the contamination of water (Whitworth, Symanski, & Coker, 2008).

Discussion

The aim of this assignment was to define the originality of the scientific literature. The aim was to study whether UNGD is really affecting wellbeing of the public, value of air & water.  Each of the original literature reflects the importance of the UNGD on the wellbeing of the public, value of air & water. The research has found out that the scientific literature provide a clear picture of the research. UNGD has an adverse effect on the health of the public & quality of air and quality of water (Colburn, 2013).  Research has proved that UNGD contributes to the public health burden.

The research conducted in this assignment will help the other research to identify the themes that will contribute for the design of the study, methodology, hypothesis, findings & for the recommendations. The assignment will help for an empirical research to understand how the risks are made by the UNGD (Slama, Thiebaugeorges, & Goua, 2009).

There are also some data gaps in the research papers. The mentionable information gaps are found basically on the magnitude of the risks of the human health.  Several opinions have been made which are not correct in the practical norms (Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), , 2013).

It is very difficult to make a research to find out the exact figure without setting the parameter of the assessment. In this kind of scientific study, there is need of the quantitative epidemiological research is required. But this kind of study is very expensive (Finkel & Hays, 2015). And getting actual data is always difficult. Thus this kind of research depends upon the data that are very difficult to get.

Limitations

The research conducted by me focuses on finding the weight of the evidence. I have just made an analysis of the data found in the three different topics like public health, quality air and quality water from the scientific literature. But I have not made any qualitative research. It is very difficult for me to find out the merits and demerits of each scientific literature.

Conclusion

The present research has made an attempt to find out the impact of UNGD on these three important dimensions but here I have not studied about the level of impact on these three. Thus more research is required to find out the level of impact of UNGD on the health of the public  & worth of air & water.

Bibliography

Barouki, R., Gluckman, P. D., Grandjean, P., Hanson, M., & Heindel, J. J. (2012). , “Developmental origins of non-communicable disease: implications for research and Public Health. Environmental Health , 42-51.

Colburn, T. (2013). Spreadsheet of Products, Chemicals and Their Health Effects, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange,paonia, USA. Retrieved 03 01, 2017, from https://www.endocrinedisruption.org/chemicals.multistate.php.

Finkel, M. L., & Hays, J. (2015). Environmental and health impacts of “fracking”: why epidemiological studies are necessary. J Epidemiol Community Health .

Madelon, L., Finkel, Hays, J., & Law, A. (2013). Modern Natural Gas Development and Harm to Health: The Need for Proactive Public Health Policies. International Schcolarly Research Notices , 1-5.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), . (2013, 02). orker Exposure to Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing,” . Retrieved 03 02, 2017, from United States Department of Labor: https://www.osha.gov/dts/hazardalerts/hydraulic_frac_hazard_alert.html.

Sharma, S. K., & Maheshwari, S. (2016). A review on welding of high strength oil and gas pipeline steels. Journal on welding of high strength oil and gas pipeline steels .

Slama, R., Thiebaugeorges, O., & Goua, V. (2009). Maternal personal exposure to airborne benzene and intrauterine growth,”. Environmental Health Perspectives, , 117 (8), 1313-1321.

Urbana, I. (2011). Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers. NY, USA: New TYork Times.

Werner, A. K., Vink, S., Watt, K. W., & Jagals, P. (2014). Environmental health impacts of unconventional natural gas development: A review of the current strength of evidence. Science of The Total Environment .

Whitworth, K. W., Symanski, E., & Coker, A. L. (2008). Childhood lymphohematopoietic cancer incidence and hazardous air pollutants in Southeast Texas, 1995–2004,. Environmental Health Perspectives, , 116 (11), 1576-1580.