Health Benefits Of Fracking

The topic concerning both environmental and occupational health that I’ve chosen to discuss is the importance and effects of hydraulic fracking. Originally created in the 1940’s, fracking became more used in the early 2000’s after large name corporations invested in expanding natural gas exploration (Burton). The process is quite simple; the idea is that millions of gallons of water, sand, and other such chemicals are pumped into the ground to break up shales of rocks that then release natural gasses (Osborn). The gasses are then able to move freely to the wells. Most of the fluid sent to the ground are sand and water; the process of fracking has become more and more common in the United States and is projected to increase to be the only efficient
The populations most affected by fracking are humans and animal life, accordingly. Previously noted, hydraulic fracking can cause contamination to both air and drinking water which could lead to infection, virus and other communicable diseases. Through water contamination, animal life is put in danger as through consumption along with poor air quality which effects all living specimen. Because methane is the main component or element of natural gas, it causes an added risk of air pollution that can be released into our atmosphere and is measured to beat least 50 parts per billion higher than the EPA’s health threshold of exposure (Hoffman). Exposure to such toxins and the chemicals in the fracking fluid could cause skin and eye irritation as well as organ failure if ingested; being that many criticize the workplace infrastructure as being unstable, much of these consequences relate to the workers
As we’ve seen in the BP Oil Spill, the infrastructure of wells and fracking strategies are still flawed and large scale disasters can occur (Hoffman). In the case of this spill, aquatic life was greatly hurt but most significant was the loss of human life and the financial impacts it had on the country. Cleaning up the spill took months and payments and settlements, roughly $40 billion, took years to accomplish with the “big name” corporation and the workers’ families (bp United States). Another forgotten or accidental consequence of fracking is the production of wastewater or “flowback” as it is referred to which is supposed disposed of in ponds and tanks; however, because health effects are still being known, experts argue that disposal methods must be improved (Frontier Group). There have also been reported illnesses from drinking water after fracking, blowouts and fires; more discouraging, is the cost of treatment, methane removal alone costs upwards of $9,000 per family household according to the Environment N.C. article. Most common, families nearby fracking well sites have complained of eye and throat irritation, nausea, and headaches as well as the added danger, for workers, of inhalation of toxins or chemicals such as silica sand which can cause lung disease, silicosis (Frontier Group). Hydraulic fracking has it’s set of pros and cons, this