Data Centres & Health - Fact sheet with references link

A fact sheet by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment detailing the human health risks associated with gas-powered data centres in Alberta, specifically focusing on air and noise pollution, water stress, and the use of PFASS PFAS.

• Because Alberta's current power grid is unable to support the energy requirements of data centres, these facilities will instead be powered by on-site natural gas generators, which present several health risks to nearby communitiesC communitiesCSSS communities.
• Gas generators used by data centres emit pollutants that cause various health issues: nitrogen oxides are linked to dementia, asthma, and chronic bronchitis; fine airborne particles contribute to lung disease, strokes, and heart attacks; and volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde and benzene increase cancer risks.
• The document asserts that regulatory compliance does not guarantee safety, as individuals with lung disease, heart conditions, or asthma can be harmed by emission levels that healthy adults might tolerate.
• Data centres impact local resources and infrastructure through massive water consumption for cooling systems—which may affect community stability, mental health, and food security in drought-prone Alberta areas—and by increasing pressure on rural healthcare systems already facing emergency room closures and doctor shortages.
• Other environmental and health hazards include noise pollution, which is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and learning difficulties in children, and the leakage of PFAS ('forever chemicals') from electrical components and cooling systems, which is linked to thyroid disease, birth defects, and weakened immune systems.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Data Centres & Health - Fact sheet with references link. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Data-Centres-Health-Fact-sheet-with-references.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Data Centres & Health - Fact sheet with references link. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Data-Centres-Health-Fact-sheet-with-references.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Data Centres & Health - Fact sheet with references link |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Data-Centres-Health-Fact-sheet-with-references.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentnddata, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Data Centres \& Health - Fact sheet with references link}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Data-Centres-Health-Fact-sheet-with-references.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }