A major new study led by researchers at University College London and the Stockholm Environment Institute has revealed that air pollution from oil and gas is responsible for 91,000 premature deaths and hundreds of thousands of severe health conditions across the United States each year. The work, published in Science Advances, highlights stark racial and ethnic disparities, with Black, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic communities bearing the most significant health burdens. It is the first study to fully measure the health effects of outdoor air pollution from every stage of the oil and gas lifecycle, from drilling to end-use in vehicles and power plants.

The research team found that pollution from oil and gas activities is linked annually to 10,350 pre-term births, 216,000 new cases of childhood asthma, and over 1,600 lifetime cancer cases. Using advanced computer models, they mapped air pollution across the country, then combined this with established health data to calculate outcomes. Strikingly, one in five preterm births and adult deaths from fine particulate pollution were tied to oil and gas, while nearly 90% of childhood asthma cases linked to nitrogen dioxide stemmed from this sector.

The study shows that the final stage of the oil and gas lifecycle—burning fossil fuels—accounts for 96% of the health burden, with the most significant overall impacts in populous states such as California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. When population size is taken into account, residents of New Jersey, the District of Columbia, New York, California, and Maryland face the heaviest per capita burden. The findings underline how consumer end-use dominates the health damage caused by the industry.

Notably, the study demonstrates that marginalised racial and ethnic groups consistently experience greater health risks. Native American and Hispanic communities are most affected by upstream and midstream pollution, while Black and Asian populations face disproportionate harm from downstream and end-use emissions. In areas like southern Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” and eastern Texas, Black residents endure especially severe health outcomes, including higher rates of premature mortality, childhood asthma, and preterm births. These inequities are rooted in historical zoning policies, such as redlining, which forced specific populations to live near industrial hotspots.

The researchers also identified cross-border effects, attributing 1,170 early deaths in southern Canada and 440 in northern Mexico to US oil and gas pollution. Given that oil and gas production has risen by 40% and consumption by 8% since the study’s reference year of 2017, the authors suggest their estimates are conservative. Senior author Professor Eloise Marais noted that the survey gives “science-backed numbers” to the unfair exposures and burdens that communities have long recognised.

Co-author Dr Ploy Achakulwisut emphasised the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels: “Hundreds of thousands of children, adults, and the elderly in the US could be spared from illness and premature death every year.” By quantifying the immense and unequal health toll, the study strengthens the case for accelerating the phase-out of oil and gas to save lives in both the near and long term.

More information: Karn Vohra et al, The health burden and racial-ethnic disparities of air pollution from the major oil and gas lifecycle stages in the United States, Science Advances. DOI: 0.1126/sciadv.adu2241

Journal information: Science Advances Provided by University College London