Table 2.
Summary of animal biomonitoring, toxicological studies on health outcomes from exposures associated with oil drilling
| Author(s) | Year | Country | Study Population | Findings | Health Effect | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Biomonitoring Studies | ||||||
| Al-Hashem et al. | 2007 | Kuwait | A. scutallatus lizards | Higher numbers of cells with cytoplasmic degeneration and dead cells among lizards living in oil-extraction region | Effect | Inadequate |
| Al-Hashem and Mona | 2011 | Kuwait | A. scutallatus lizards | Greater hepatoxicity among adults (particularly males) exposed to oil pollution | Effect | Inadequate |
| Bamberger and Oswald | 2015 | United States | Companion and food animals | No significant changes to health of animals living within 2 miles of oil/gas well after 15-34 months | No effect | Fair |
| Bustamante et al. | 2015 | Colombia | Cattle | Excess lead and cadmium levels in liver, kidney and muscle of cattle near oil extraction sites represents a human health risk | Effect | Fair |
| Miedico et al. | 2016 | Italy | Cows and sheep | Bovine and ovine liver samples collected near oil wells showed accumulation of 18 heavy metals | Effect | Fair |
| Toxicological Studies | ||||||
| Odeigah et al. | 1997 | Nigeria | Onion (A. cepa) | Increasing concentrations of oil field waste water led to decreased root length and mitotic index, and increased morphological deformations | Effect | Fair |
| Wernerss on | 2004 | Ecuador | Aquatic ecotoxicity | Acute water toxicity at all sites was not significantly high | No effect | Fair |
| Akani and Obire | 2014 | Nigeria | African catfish (C. gariepinus) | Exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of oil field wastewater led to increased bacterial concentrations in skin, intestine, and gill tissues | Effect | Fair |
| Kassotis et al. | 2015 | United States | Male C57BL/6J mice | Prenatal exposure to hydraulic fracturing chemicals caused decreased reproductive health and increased body weight, heart size, thymus size, and serum testosterone | Effect | Good |
| Abdullah et al. | 2016 | United States | Drilling fluids | Identified 28 different chemicals used for acidization known to be toxins | Effect | Good |
| Kassotis et al. | 2016 | United States | Female C57BI/6 mice | Prenatal exposure to hydraulic fracturing chemicals caused increased pituitary hormone levels and body weight and decreased reproductive health | Effect | Good |