Mapping the Health Risks of Methane Super-emitters

PSE Healthy Energy releases a powerful new tool that uses Carbon Mapper emissions data to reveal how and where these emission events may pose risks to health and safety, unlocking new pathways to action.

Reducing methane emissions — especially methane super-emitters — is not only one of the fastest ways to slow the rate of global warming, but addressing them can also improve our public health.

Combining Carbon Mapper methane data with key health-related information such as gas composition data, and attributing that to a specific source, is bringing transparency to the true impacts of these emissions. Together, these critical datasets are unearthing the health risks that super-emitters pose to communities and individuals, unlocking powerful new channels for mitigation action and protecting public health.

That’s where PSE’s new Methane Risk Map comes in. This newly released online tool connects the dots between Carbon Mapper’s methane super-emitter detections, the toxic pollutants that they release, and their proximity to people — providing powerful information that decision makers can use to protect public health and safety for communities.

Connecting Super-emitters to Health Impacts

Numerous studies have shown that methane is often released alongside hazardous air pollutants like benzene, which is a known carcinogen. Methane is also highly flammable and, in high concentrations, can cause fires and explosions. Methane data transparency, and more accessible and actionable data like Carbon Mapper’s super-emitter detections from the Tanager-1 satellite, is unlocking the ability to highlight the health impacts of super-emitter events.

PSE’s Methane Risk Map tool utilizes Carbon Mapper’s data, which provides an estimated source emissions rate showing the volume of methane emitted from an observed event. The tool combines this information with PSE’s gas composition database to calculate the concentrations of hazardous air pollutants stemming from each super-emitter event. PSE then uses a regulatory-grade dispersion model to simulate how methane and hazardous air pollutants spread, mapping pollution concentrations in communities.

This information helps determine where methane levels are high enough to pose a safety risk, and where concentrations of hazardous air pollutants are high enough to pose a health risk. You can learn more about PSE’s methodology here (link to their blog). 

Carbon Mapper data covers tens of thousands of methane super-emitters stemming from oil and gas, energy, waste, and agricultural facilities. Our observations have shown that methane super-emitters can account for 20-60% of total methane emissions in certain sectors, and many of these emissions have persisted for days to months, or even years, posing a significant and outsized climate risk.

PSE’s work to integrate their extensive gas composition database, Census data, weather patterns, and public health benchmarks, with Carbon Mapper’s super-emitter observations creates the clearest picture yet of the risks associated with methane emissions events.

"Our research and the Methane Risk Map provides the scientific backing to regulate, reduce, and ultimately prevent large scale methane emissions due to their air quality impacts and risks to human health. After years of research and collaboration with our data partners at Carbon Mapper, we’re excited to get this new resource out into the community where it can be put to use," Seth Shonkoff said.

Unlocking New Avenues for Impact

By revealing the very real and severe impacts of methane super-emitters in terms that matter most to people, the Methane Risk Map is a powerful tool that can generate valuable community insights and drive action. 

This interactive online map allows users like state, city and county regulators and policymakers, public health professionals, advocates, journalists and scientists to understand and demonstrate the links between methane emissions, hazardous air pollutants, and public health. 

“It is impossible to ignore a super-emitter in your own backyard that is directly affecting the health and safety of your household. PSE’s work and tool is filling a much needed gap in our understanding of the health impacts of methane and will unlock new avenues for mitigating super-emitters across the country," said Riley Duren.

This Methane Risk Map can be used by groups looking to safeguard community health, policymakers and regulators responsible for safeguarding human and safety, and inform regulatory guidelines, among others. 

“Mitigating the harmful effects of methane requires an all-encompassing approach,” said Riley Duren. “We’re proud to work with PSE to create new pathways from data to real-world impact.” 

Learn More

• Visit PSE’s Methane Risk Map 

Read PSE research to learn more about the methodology behind the Methane Risk Map

Gas Composition Paper

• Published in May in Environmental Research Communications 
• Read the blog summary here

Air Quality Modeling Paper

• Published in August in Environmental Research Letters
• Read the blog summary here