NEWS in SCIENCE
What the Frack?!
By E.A.
Fracking is the hot new way of obtaining natural gases and oils from the ground. Everyone is talking about how great it is. Better for the environment and our economy so they say. But, is it really?
What is fracking? Fracking is a new way to get natural gases from the Earth. This works by drilling into the ground and pumping a lot of water, usually 15-30 million liters for each well, and chemicals into the ground. What most people do not think about is those chemicals.
What is dangerous about fracking? Chemicals are used in fracking to help the process run as smoothly as possible, which help the fracking companies. These companies do not think about are where the chemicals go after they are pumped into the wells. Chemicals end up in people’s drinking water. This happens by the chemicals seeping into the ground from the well and from the Earth’s surface. After the fracking is complete, water, mud, and many different chemicals are left to overflow onto the ground around the well.
Why is this so dangerous? This is scary because many of these chemicals can harm us. When we drink these chemicals, it can lead to health problems in two major ways. Those who use the contaminated water could develop health problems like trouble having children. Children can also be affected by the contaminated water from birth. They could be born with birth defects in their mothers used the contaminated water for drinking, bathing, cooking, or using it in any other way.
What can we do? The fracking industry needs more strict rules about the chemicals they use. Our health also needs to be brought up when discussing these chemicals used during fracking. Because we are the ones effected. More studies need to be conducted about how harmful these chemicals can be to us.
Elliot, E., Ettinger, A., Leaderer, B., Bracken, M., & Deziel, N. (2017). A systematic evaluation of chemicals in
hydraulic-fracturing fluids and wastewater for reproductive and developmental toxicity . Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology , 20(90), 99th ser., 90-97. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
http://www.nature.com/jes/journal/v27/n1/pdf/jes201581a.pdf?foxtrotcallback=true
Please send any questions or comments to Dr. Spitzer (spitzern@marshall.edu )
Note: Any opinions expressed in these articles are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent those of Dr. Spitzer, the Department of Biological Sciences, or Marshall University.