Impact of the Aliso Canyon Gas Leak on Respiratory-Related Conditions Among US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Users

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 419-423
Author(s):  
Lilia R. Lukowsky ◽  
Claudia Der-Martirosian ◽  
Alicia R. Gable ◽  
Aram Dobalian
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Department Of Veterans Affairs ◽  
Outpatient Visits ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
San Fernando ◽  
One Year ◽  
Gas Leaks ◽  
Respiratory Exacerbations ◽  
States History

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe largest gas leak in United States history occurred October 2015 through February 2016 near Porter Ranch (PR), California, and prompted the temporary relocation of nearby residents because of health concerns related to natural gas exposure.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative and clinical data. On the basis of zip codes, we created two groups: PR (1920 patients) and San Fernando Valley (SFV) (15 260 patients) and examined the proportion of outpatient visits to VA providers with respiratory-related diagnoses between October 2014 and September 2017.ResultsWe observed an increase in the proportion of visits in the PR group during the leak (7.0% vs 6.1%, P<0.005) and immediately after the leak (7.7% vs 5.3%, P<0.0001). For both groups, we observed a decrease in respiratory diagnoses one year after the leak (7.0% to 5.9%, P<0.05 PR; 6.1% to 5.7%, P<0.01 SFV).ConclusionExposure to natural gas likely led to the observed increase in respiratory-related diagnoses during and after the PR gas leak. Early relocation following natural gas leaks may mitigate respiratory exacerbations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:419-423)

RealSens™: An Advanced Passive Airborne Natural Gas Leak Detection Technology

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Banica ◽  
Chris K. Sheard ◽  
Boyd T. Tolton
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Infrared Band ◽  
Underground Pipelines ◽  
Detection Technology ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
Gas Leaks ◽  
Transmission And Distribution

Detecting natural gas leaks from the worlds nearly 5 million kilometers of underground pipelines is a difficult and costly challenge. Existing technologies are limited to ground deployment and have a number of limitations such as slow response, false leak readings and high costs. Various remote sensing solutions have been proposed in the past and a few are currently being developed. This paper starts by describing the remote sensing concept and then will focus on a new technology developed by Synodon scientists. This airborne instrument is a passive Gas Filter Correlation Radiometer (GFCR) that is tuned to measure ethane in the 3.3 microns near-infrared band. With its target natural gas column sensitivity of 50 μm, the instrument is capable of detecting very small leaks in the range of 5–10 cuft/hr in winds that exceed 6 miles/hr. The paper concludes with a description of the service which Synodon will be offering to the transmission and distribution pipeline operators using the new technology.

Results of Field Trials of Realsens™, An Airborne Natural Gas Leak Detection Technology

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Banica ◽  
Doug Miller ◽  
Boyd T. Tolton
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Infrared Band ◽  
Detection Technology ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
Gas Leaks

Detecting natural gas leaks from the worlds nearly 5 million kilometers of underground pipelines is a difficult and costly challenge. Existing technologies are limited to ground deployment and have a number of limitations such as slow response, false leak readings and high costs. Various remote sensing solutions have been proposed in the past and a few are currently being developed. This paper starts by describing the remote sensing concept and then will focus on a new technology developed by Synodon scientists. This airborne instrument is a passive Gas Filter Correlation Radiometer (GFCR) that is tuned to measure ethane in the 3.3 microns near-infrared band. The paper will then present the results of the first airborne field tests and conclude with a description of the service which Synodon will be offering to the transmission and distribution pipeline operators using the new technology.

Assessment of Gas Leak Detection Techniques in Natural Gas Infrastructure: A Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dulu Appah ◽  
Victor Aimikhe ◽  
Wilfred Okologume
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Leak Detection ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
Gas Leakage ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
Operational Activities ◽  
Gas Leaks

Abstract The undetected gas leak, also referred to as fugitive gas emissions, are produced from natural gas infrastructure during operational activities. If not monitored, this undetected gas leakage can lead to undesirable economic loss of natural gas from installed infrastructures and are often accompanied by toxic air pollutants that typically pose safety and public health concerns. The efficient quantification of gas leaks from natural gas infrastructure value chain is still largely inadequate. Several studies have repeatedly opined that the actual rate of leaks from natural gas infrastructure is often higher than the documented estimates. The latter is largely dependent on assumptions that rely on inadequate data. This study reviewed most of the existing methods implemented to detect and quantify gas leaks in natural gas infrastructure by assessing the techniques based on the amount of leak detected compared to the amount of gas produced from such facilities. The study illustrates both the problem of methane leakage and the opportunities for instantaneous reduction from natural gas transmission facilities. Furthermore, this review provides a detailed account of the various analytical models and instrumentation-based research performed to identify and quantify gas leak detection. The study opined that the uncertainties associated with efficient quantification of natural gas leak rates demonstrate the need for innovative approaches or processes to identify and quantify leak rates from natural gas infrastructure.

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW METHODS FOR DETECTION OF LEAKS OF HYDROCARBON GAS

2019 ◽  
pp. 60-64
Author(s):  
R. A. Eminov ◽  
N. Z. Mursalov
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Hydrocarbon Gases ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
Hydrocarbon Gas ◽  
Remote Determination ◽  
A Site ◽  
Gas Leaks

The paper is devoted to development of new methods for detection of leaks of hydrocarbon gas. It is determined that the wellknown fact on inverse interrelation of concentration of oxygen and such gases as N2 and CH4 can be used for remote determination of leaks of hydrocarbon gases. The gradient method for detection of leaks of natural gas composed of determination of two directions with minimum value of gradient of concentration of O2 in two fixed points and characterization of the point of crossing of them as a site of leak is suggested. The method of circles for detection of natural gases leaks site providing for determination of three points in supposed zone of leak and drawing up the circles around these points with growing radius with defined regularity is suggested. The point of crossing of all circles in some cycle of radiuses increase is presented as the gas leaks site. The carried out experimental researches held in various amounts of wind speed shown that when the wind speed surpass the fixed value location of gas leak site would be impossible due to effect of wind on spatial distribution and concentration of natural gas. Thus the proposed method is not designated for cases when a heavy wind occurs.

scholarly journals The financial legacy of Afghanistan and Iraq: How wartime spending decisions will constrain future U.S. national security budgets

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda J. Bilmes
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Department Of Defense ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Department Of Veterans Affairs ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
To Come ◽  
Basic Equipment ◽  
States History

The Afghan and Iraqi conflicts, taken together, will be the most expensive wars in United States history, totaling somewhere between US$4 to US$6 trillion. This includes long-term medical care and disability compensation for service members, veterans and families, military replenishment, and social and economic costs. The largest portion of that bill is yet to be paid. Since 2001, the U.S. has expanded the quality, quantity, availability, and eligibility of benefits for military personnel and veterans. This has led to unprecedented growth in the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense budgets. These benefits will increase further over the next 40 years. Additional funds are committed to replacing large quantities of basic equipment used in the wars and to support ongoing diplomatic presence and military assistance in Afghanistan and Iraq. The large sums borrowed to finance war-related operations will also impose substantial long-term debt servicing costs. As a consequence of these wartime spending choices, the United States will face constraints in funding investments in personnel and diplomacy, research and development, and new military initiatives. The legacy of decisions taken during the Afghan and Iraqi wars will dominate federal budgets for decades to come.

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