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Residential noise from nearby oil and gas well construction and drilling

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 28, pages 538–547 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Public concern about oil and gas (O&G) operations in residential areas is substantial. Noise from construction and drilling related to O&G operations may be greater than other phases of O&G operations; yet the impacts of audible and low-frequency noise during these operations are not extensively explored nor the effects on health well understood. This study documents the noise levels at a multi-well O&G well pad during construction and drilling in a residential area in Colorado. A-weighted (dBA) and C-weighted (dBC) noise measurements were collected at four locations during development over a 3-month period. The maximum 1-min equivalent continuous sound levels over a 1-month period were 60.2 dBA and 80.0 dBC. Overall, 41.1% of daytime and 23.6% of nighttime dBA 1-min equivalent continuous noise measurements were found to exceed 50 dBA, and 97.5% of daytime and 98.3% of nighttime measurements were found to exceed 60 dBC. Noise levels exceeding 50 dBA or 60 dBC may cause annoyance and be detrimental to health; thus, these noise levels have the potential to impact health and noise levels and associated health effects warrant further investigation.

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Notes

  1. The exact location of noise sampling is not shown to protect the identity of the property owners.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by support from the National Science Foundation (NSF CBET-1240584; www.airwatergas.org) and research was conducted as part of the AirWaterGas Sustainability Research Network. We thank Kelsey Barton and Jonathan Heywood for this assistance with this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colorado School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Benjamin D. Blair, Stephen Brindley, Eero Dinkeloo, Lisa M. McKenzie & John L. Adgate

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Correspondence to John L. Adgate.

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Blair, B.D., Brindley, S., Dinkeloo, E. et al. Residential noise from nearby oil and gas well construction and drilling. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 28, 538–547 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-018-0039-8

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