Werner Angela K, Cameron Cate M, Watt Kerrianne, Vink Sue, Jagals Paul, Page Andrew
Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Logan, QLD 4131, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 May 18;14(5):540. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14050540.
The majority of Australia's coal seam gas (CSG) reserves are in Queensland, where the industry has expanded rapidly in recent years. Despite concerns, health data have not been examined alongside CSG development. This study examined hospitalisation rates as a function of CSG development activity in Queensland, during the period 1995-2011. Admissions data were examined with CSG well numbers, which served as a proxy for CSG development activity. Time series models were used to assess changes in hospitalisation rates for periods of "low", "medium", "high", and "intense" activity compared to a period of "very low" activity, adjusting for covariates. "All-cause" hospitalisation rates increased monotonically with increasing gas well development activity in females (324.0 to 390.3 per 1000 persons) and males (294.2 to 335.4 per 1000 persons). Hospitalisation rates for "Blood/immune" conditions generally increased for both sexes. Female and male hospitalisation rates for "Circulatory" conditions decreased with increasing CSG activity. Hospitalisation rates were generally low for reproductive and birth outcomes; no clear associations were observed. This study showed some outcomes were associated with increasing CSG development activity. However, as a condition of data access, the population and outcomes were aggregated to a broad geographic study area rather than using higher geographic resolution data. Higher resolution data, as well as other data sources, should be explored. Further research should be conducted with an expanded time period to determine if these trends continue as the industry grows.
澳大利亚大部分煤层气（CSG）储量位于昆士兰州，近年来该行业在该州迅速扩张。尽管存在诸多担忧，但健康数据并未与煤层气开发情况一同进行审视。本研究调查了1995年至2011年期间昆士兰州住院率与煤层气开发活动之间的关系。住院数据与煤层气井数量一同进行分析，煤层气井数量被用作煤层气开发活动的替代指标。运用时间序列模型评估与“极低”活动期相比，“低”“中”“高”和“高强度”活动期住院率的变化，并对协变量进行了调整。女性（每千人从324.0例增至390.3例）和男性（每千人从294.2例增至335.4例）的“全因”住院率均随气井开发活动的增加而单调上升。“血液/免疫”疾病的住院率在两性中总体呈上升趋势。“循环系统”疾病的女性和男性住院率随煤层气活动的增加而下降。生殖和出生结局的住院率普遍较低；未观察到明显关联。本研究表明，一些结局与煤层气开发活动的增加有关。然而，作为数据获取的条件，人群和结局被汇总到一个广阔的地理研究区域，而非使用更高地理分辨率的数据。应探索更高分辨率的数据以及其他数据源。应在更长时间段内开展进一步研究，以确定随着该行业的发展这些趋势是否会持续。
