Cushing awarded research funds by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

"The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded $260,000 in research funds to look at the impacts of unconventional oil and gas extraction on birth outcomes in the Eagle Ford Shale regions of South Texas. Co-Principal Investigators Lara Cushing, assistant professor of health education at SF State, and Jill Johnston of the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, will utilize satellite observations of infrared radiation at night to determine women’s exposure during pregnancy to flaring, the common practice of burning waste gas at oil extraction sites. The Eagle Ford Shale region has undergone a fracking boom and is one of the largest oil-producing regions in the U.S. Extensive flaring in the area is contributing to increases in air pollutants previously linked to higher risks of low birth weight babies and preterm birth."

Feature From: SF State's CHSS Connection Newsletter, December 2017