Accepted for publication in the International Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, September 4, 2010.
ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, the U.S. rush to become energy self-sufficient led to rapid expansion in acreage and intensity of natural gas operations across the western U.S. Modern technology to recover natural gas depends on undisclosed amounts of toxic chemicals and the release of combustion materials and other gases that may pose immediate and long term hazards to human health, water and air. We compiled a list of products and chemicals used in natural gas operations, searched the literature for their health effects, and categorized them according to standard toxicological categories. From this we created a profile of possible health effects based on the number of chemicals associated with each category. We demonstrated that toxic chemicals are used during both the fracturing and drilling phases of gas operations, that there may be long term health effects that are not immediately recognized, and that waste evaporation pits may contain numerous chemicals on the Superfund list. Our findings show the difficulty of developing a water quality monitoring program. To protect public health we recommend full disclosure of the contents of all products, extensive air and water monitoring, a comprehensive human health study, and regulation of hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Keywords: drilling, fracking, health, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, ozone, pollution
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