A new study published in Science Advances by researchers from University College London and the Stockholm Environment Institute reveals that air pollution from the U.S. oil and gas industry is responsible for 91,000 premature deaths annually, along with 216,000 new cases of childhood asthma and 10,350 preterm births. The research is the first to quantify health impacts across every stage of the oil and gas lifecycle—from extraction to end-use.
Lead author Dr. Karn Vohra explained, “One in five preterm births and adult deaths linked to fine particulate pollution are from oil and gas.” He added that nearly 90% of new childhood asthma cases tied to nitrogen dioxide pollution stem from this sector.
The study highlights a disturbing pattern: marginalized racial and ethnic groups bear the brunt of this pollution. Native American and Hispanic communities are most affected by upstream and midstream activities, while Black and Asian populations suffer disproportionately from downstream and end-use pollution. In Southern Louisiana and eastern Texas, Black communities experience significantly higher rates of premature mortality, asthma, and preterm births.
Professor Eloise Marais stated, “These communities are already aware of this unjust exposure and the disproportionately large health burdens they experience.” Co-author Dr. Ploy Achakulwisut emphasized the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels, noting that “hundreds of thousands of children, adults, and the elderly in the US could be saved from illnesses and early deaths every year.”
See: “UCL study links US oil and gas pollution to 91,000 deaths” (August 27, 2025)
