For over 40 years, oilfield brine has been used on Ohio roads, raising health concerns due to its radioactive content. This byproduct of oil and gas development is applied in some townships in Licking County to melt ice and suppress dust. Researchers from Ohio State University aim to understand the long-term health impacts on communities where brine is spread, including Licking, Coshocton, and Ashtabula counties.
Research Initiative
Dr. Arbor Quist, environmental epidemiologist and assistant professor at OSU, leads the study. “I’ve been working on the health effects of oil and gas development for ten years,” Quist said, “but this project begins this summer.” The team will collect data using unique methods, such as toenail clippings, baby teeth, and soil samples. Adults in Licking County for the past year can donate toenail clippings. Baby teeth donations require the child to have lived there during specific early life stages. The study offers gift cards for participation.
Widespread Issue
Oilfield brine affects more than Licking County. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources analyzed brine from 107 wells across 26 counties and 10 formations. All samples were too radioactive for environmental discharge per the Ohio Administrative Code.
Quist helped develop an interactive map using AI to track where brine spreads across Ohio roads. Chronic exposure to brine’s radium increases the risk of bone, liver, and breast cancer, reported by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Radium’s similarity to calcium causes bone absorption.
Health and Environmental Concerns
As radium decays, it produces radon, a gas linked to lung cancer. Licking County is a radon “ground zero,” according to a 2025 Columbus Dispatch investigation. Radium in brine persists after application, potentially contaminating food and water.
“Rain washes it into gardens and streams,”said Jacque Morgan, a Licking County resident advocating against brine on roads.
Since 1985, using radioactive brine has been legal in Ohio. The state has seen over 100,000 conventional wells since the late 1800s. Some well owners offer brine free to municipalities for road use. Activists like Morgan, and the Buckeye Environmental Network, campaign for change. Ohio Senate Bill 329 proposes banning brine on roads, but action is pending.
Alternative Solutions
Granville Township uses a de-icer made from water and road salt, avoiding brine contaminants. Morgan wishes other townships prioritized health.
“Greed prioritizes over health is upsetting,”Morgan said. “Gas and oil benefits should come with healthy air, ground, and water.”
Community Engagement
On September 19, Quist will attend the Granville Farmers Market to discuss radium’s effects and engage with parents in brine-affected areas. “People seem interested and curious,” Quist noted. Morgan hopes Quist’s research will improve understanding and decision-making about oilfield brine’s impact.
“I hope it shifts justice and logical choices for our health and quality of life,”Morgan concluded.
This story was adapted from The Reporting Project and shared through a partnership with The Associated Press.