Multiple human health hazards, including asthma, cancer, congenital impairments, and cardiovascular disease, have been linked to fracking, which is hydraulic fracturing for gas and oil, according to new studies.
Concerned Health Professionals of New York and Physicians for Social Responsibility have just released a study compilation stating that fracking is significantly harmful to health.
A significant concern is that, as reported by Inside Climate News, two billion gallons of water are being sent into hundreds of thousands of disposal wells daily. These wells produce harmful fracking waste, polluting groundwater across the US.
The compilation states that there is undeniable evidence from studies across the United States indicating that groundwater contamination has happened due to fracking and is more likely to occur near well pads.
The article goes on to state that a large amount of peer-reviewed research on hydraulic fracturing backs up the claims about the hazards to public health and climate, as well as the other environmental problems that the process may cause. The paper concludes that an all-out ban on fracking is the only way to lessen its impact on public health and the environment. Any serious strategy to avert disastrous climate change must include a fracking phase-out.
According to an ICN article that outlines the research, children residing close to Pennsylvania fracking sites had a greater risk of leukemia compared to children living in other areas. According to another study from ICN, there is a sevenfold increased risk of lymphoma in children within one mile of areas used for natural gas extraction.
Fracking poisons the water supply, which might otherwise be used for farming and community needs, and poses serious health concerns to those who inhale the gas. In the end, the compilation demands that fracking be outlawed entirely.
Citizens who are worried about fracking should get in touch with their lawmakers and tell them they want stricter rules or a complete ban on the technique since politicians ultimately decide whether or not to approve it.
