Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.
You may not have considered fracking operations as a source of toxic chemical exposure, but it’s something you should check on. 12.4 million people live in the threat radius. CHECK MAPS HERE to fnd out if your home or school is within a 1/2 mile of an active oil & gas well, and more about the pollutants that may be present from fracking. Thankfully, I’m not in a fracking zone here in Florida, but if you live in the midwest, northeast, or California, please check the map.
A new study has found that many of the toxic chemicals used at fracking sites may be present in higher concentration in the bodies of people in nearby communities.
A first-of-its-kind study combining air-monitoring methods with new biomonitoring techniques detected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from natural gas operations in the bodies of nearby residents at levels that were as much as 10 times that of the national averages.
The study focused on measuring ambient levels of a specific family of VOCs named BTEX chemicals — which include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes — because these chemicals are known to be hazardous to human health even at low levels. Researchers then used new biomonitoring methods to detect these chemicals in 11 local residents who volunteered to participate in the study by wearing air quality monitors and providing blood and urine samples, and found evidence of eight hazardous chemicals emitted from Pavillion gas infrastructure in the urine of study participants.
EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL: High Levels of Toxins Found in Bodies of People Living Near Fracking Sites
EARTHJUSTICE: Unfractured: Joining Together ro Fight Fracking
