Fracking: 8 Very Serious Side Effects. There is no denying that this process creates jobs, gas, oil and huge profits. As such it is defended by businesses and supported by many governments, but the dangers to the environment, health and public safety continue to grow.
That’s a summary of the various “side effects” that can arise from drilling holes into the Earth’s surface, injecting toxic chemicals at high pressure, and then pumping wastewater deep underground. Access to fossil fuels, whose use is a major cause of global warming.
water pollution
During the fracking process, large amounts of methane gas and other toxic chemicals leak from wells. They also contaminate surrounding groundwater, which is often the source of water consumed by local communities.
One well can produce nearly four million liters of wastewater, which contains radioactive elements such as radium and various carcinogenic hydrocarbons such as benzene; the methane concentration in the underground layer near the fracture site is 17 times higher than that of a normal well. Only 30%~50% of the fracturing fluid is recovered; the rest remains in the ground and is not biodegradable.
water shortage
Nearly 90% of the water used in fracking never returns to the surface. Since water will certainly be removed from its natural cycle, this is bad news for those affected by drought, scarcity or desertification processes.
Diverting water supplies to the fracking industry not only makes water more expensive, but also reduces its availability for other uses, such as human consumption and crop irrigation. Fracking: 8 Very Serious Side Effects.
serious health consequences
Residual liquids left behind by the fracking process are deposited in open pits and evaporate, releasing dangerous volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere, polluting the air, producing acid rain and increasing ground-level ozone levels.
Exposure to hydrogen sulfide particles and volatile hydrocarbons can cause health problems. Examples include asthma, headaches, high blood pressure, anemia, heart disease, and cancer. It can adversely affect the immune system, reproductive system, and embryonic development.
killer gas
Experts have found that homes in suburban and rural areas located near fracking sites generally have radon concentrations that are 39 percent higher than homes in urban areas where fracking has not occurred.
Radon (the second leading cause of lung cancer in the world after smoking) is a natural, odorless, tasteless, invisible and soluble radioactive gas, so some dissolved residues can be found in wells and underground layers, while others can diffuse through the air.
deadly particles
In addition to water and toxic chemicals, hydraulic fracturing requires the use of fine sand called fracking (hence the name of the technique). Its demand drove the rise of mining and grinding in many parts of the planet.
These small particles of silica can make breathing difficult and cause respiratory irritation, coughing, airway obstruction and poor lung function. Chronic or long-term exposure can cause lung inflammation, bronchitis, emphysema and a serious disease called silicosis (a form of pulmonary fibrosis).
earthquake
The fracking process has been shown to cause earthquakes. Specifically, over the past seven years, due to hydraulic fracturing, certain geologically stable areas have experienced fault movement that hasn’t moved in millions of years. Furthermore, it is difficult or impossible to predict where earthquakes caused by this practice will occur.
It has been reliably proven that the increase in activity described coincides with the injection of wastewater into wells designed and approved for this purpose. After years of uncertainty, many governments finally agreed with the scientists, France being one of the first.
more greenhouse effect
Natural gas is primarily methane, a greenhouse gas that traps 85 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Fracking could be worse than burning coal due to methane leaks from the fracking process.
It turns out that even small leaks in methane production and distribution systems can have huge impacts on the climate. Enough to destroy the full benefits of switching thermal energy production from coal to natural gas.
Profits only belong to a very small number of people
Last but not least, there is a lot of money involved behind fracking. We’re talking astronomical numbers to finally “convince” governments to accept their territories being trampled upon like this. Even knowing the possible harmful consequences of this approach.
Fracking is currently being practiced in many parts of the world in exchange for some real work (but not always stable employment), a source of natural gas “at home”, and covert financial support. Failure to consider the health of nearby residents can result in dire climate consequences and irreversible damage to the environment. Fracking: 8 Very Serious Side Effects.