Full Title: Natural Gas Odorants: A Scoping Review of Health Effects
Author(s): Drew R. Michanowicz, Olivia M. Leventhal, Jeremy K. Domen, Samuel R. Williams, Eric D. Lebel, Lee Ann L. Hill, Jonathan J. Buonocore, Curtis L. Nordgaard, Aaron S. Bernstein, and Seth B.C. Shonkoff
Publisher(s): PSE
Publication Date: August 9, 2023
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The primary component of natural gas is methane, a highly combustible, yet completely odorless gas. Natural gas is intentionally odorized using a variety of sulfur-based odorant compounds to aid in leak detection. Without odorants, gas leaks would be completely undetectable.
To date, no comprehensive assessments have been performed on toxicity or human health risks of commonly used natural gas odorants. In this rigorous literature review, published in Current Environmental Health Reports, researchers evaluate the scientific evidence on the toxicological and human health outcomes of the most widely used natural gas odorants. A total of 22 articles were identified, of which 10 were human exposure studies, 11 were animal studies, and one was a cell-culture study.
Due to the lack of transparency in chemical disclosures, a definitive understanding of natural gas odorant usage is limited to documented sulfur-based compounds and English-written peer-reviewed studies of associated health effects. Researchers also did not include gray literature, government reports, industry reports, or toxicity assessments beyond the exposure events from the loss of containment event at the Aliso Canyon Underground Gas Storage Facility in Porter Ranch, California and at the wastewater treatment facility in Fairburn, Georgia.