STEER Researcher Nancy McKeon uses GIS and analytical chemistry to investigate health disparities in hydraulic fracturing communities

My name is Nancy, and I am a rising sophomore at Rutgers University studying Public Health and Environmental Policy! My hometown is Pennington, New Jersey, but I loved getting the chance to spend the summer conducting research in Philadelphia. My research interests include using the lens of GIS to visualize health disparities.

            This summer I spent time in Dr. Field’s lab conducting research on hydraulic fracturing. One part of my research focused on using analytical chemistry in order to test water samples for potential contaminants, hardness, and pH The Community Engagement Core helped craft personalized letters with the water sample results mailed back to the participants. The EPA Drinking Water Standards were also included for comparison. These standards are set at a level that the EPA considers safe for drinking water, and not all contaminants tested have EPA standards. The following contaminants were tested in parts per billion: Fluoride, Chloride, Nitrite, Bromide, Nitrate, Phosphate, Hardness, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Aluminum, Copper, Rubidium, Lithium, and Strontium. Conductivity was measured in μS/cm and alkalinity at mg/L.

  In addition to that work, I used geographic information system mapping technology (GIS) to map potential health implications of fracking. the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to use only publicly available data as the primary basis for regulations.  However, to protect patients, most studies on the effects of the environment on health are based on privatized data. Using public data, I investigated potential associations between fracking sites and health impacts. In order to better understand the significance of the data, I also utilized statistical programming such as R and Stata. Ultimately, my work this summer supports the need for additional research on the subject of hydraulic fracturing.