Fracking – the bad news

Though no one can argue the that there has been benefits from Hydraulic fracturing – otherwise known as simply “fracking”, the popular form of oil and gas drilling has expanded vastly in the United States over the past ten years, leading to increasing concerns about water and air pollution.  According to a new study, people who live near fracking sites may be at higher chances for hospitalization for heart problems, neurological disorders and other conditions. The study revealed an increased hospitalization rate in two northeastern counties in Pennsylvania with a number of fracked wells between 2007 and 2011. Prior to fracking (began in 2007), hospitalization rates were trending down in all the counties. The experts assessed the top 25 specific medical categories for more than 198,000 hospitalizations among residents of the three counties between 2007 and 2011.

Though the study does not attest that fracking actually causes health problems, but suggests that health care costs need to be factored into estimates of the economic impacts of fracking, the researchers said. The experts also said further research is needed to figure out how specific pollutants or combinations of pollutants, associated with fracking may contribute to hospitalization rates.