What you can do.Because most environmentally-mediated diseases either manifest as common medical problems or have nonspecific symptoms, environmental factors can be overlooked.
Incorporating an environmental health and exposure history is critical to helping clinicians recognize the impact of potentially hazardous chemicals and pollutants in the environment, particularly in areas where exposures have recently increased due to industrial activity. In a practical sense, an extensive environmental health and exposure history may be beyond the scope of most health care providers. However, asking a few screening questions may alert you to a possible environmental cause. As the literature about environmental exposures from chemical toxins increases, one of the recommendations for health professionals working in areas where natural gas pipelines and related infrastructure have been recently built or expanded is to incorporate questions about potential exposures into patient evaluation. |
The information on this website is based on the report "Health Effects Associated with Stack Chemical Emissions from NYS Natural Gas Compressor Stations: 2008-2014," prepared for the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project. For more information please visit our main website.
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Simple steps patients can take to reduce exposure to air pollutants from natural gas compressor stations:
1. Keep indoor air clean with home air filters/purifiers 2. Clean using damp, disposable cloths 3. Vacuum with a HEPA filter, rather than sweeping, to reduce airborne particles 4. Remove outdoor clothing and shoes when coming indoors 5. Check weather reports daily - cloudy, windless days create the unhealthiest air quality; sunny, windy says are best. 6. On bad days, keep windows and doors closed and use air conditioning to keep outdoor air outside |
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