ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE ONE TO TELL YOUR GRANDCHILDREN THAT THEIR FUTURE WILL PROBABLY BE FR**KED? If you believe fracking will be good for your grandchildren and their future please read on. Independent candidate for the South-West Coast electorate at the upcoming Victorian state election, Michael McCluskey, shares some insights into the known risks associated with hydraulic fracking for natural gas mining/production Hydraulic fracturing is the process of injecting millions of litres of chemically laden fluids underground under high pressure to create thousands of tiny earthquakes within rock or coal seams to release trapped natural gas. The known short term effects and unknown long term effects of fracking is a concern for many members of the community and land owners alike. These concerns include the potential for groundwater and surface-water pollution, local air quality degradation, fugitive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, induced seismicity, ecosystem fragmentation, and various community impacts (7). Some of the published research behind the risks of hydraulic fracking for natural gas mining/production Journal Environmental Science & Technology 2014- study found that the discharge of shale fracking wastewaters to waterways, even after passage through wastewater treatment plants, could be putting the drinking water supplies of downstream cities at risk. The wastewater is highly radioactive and contains high levels of heavy metals and salts called halides (bromide, chloride and iodide). The researchers recommend either that the wastewater associated with fracking should not be discharged at all into surface waters or that future water treatment include specific halide-removal techniques. 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS)- Scientists presenting said that out of nearly 200 commonly used fracking compounds, theres very little known about the potential health risks of about one-third, and eight are toxic to mammals. There are a number of chemicals, like corrosion inhibitors and biocides in particular, that are being used in reasonably high concentrations that potentially could have adverse effects. Endocrinology 2014- The study examined 12 suspected or known endocrine (hormone)-disrupting chemicals used in natural gas fracking operations and measured their ability to mimic or block the effect of the body’s male and female reproductive hormones. Spills associated with natural gas drilling can contaminate surface, ground and drinking water. The researchers found more endocrine (hormone)-disrupting activity in the water close to drilling locations that had experienced spills than at control sites. This could raise the risk of reproductive, metabolic, neurological and other diseases, especially in children who are exposed to these chemicals. International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society conference 2014- High levels of hormone disruption by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that were measured in fracking fluids have been associated with many poor health outcomes, such as infertility, cancer and birth defects. It is not known what the adverse health consequences might be in humans and animals exposed to these chemicals but infants and children would be most vulnerable because they are smaller, and infants lack the ability to break down these chemicals. Of the 24 common fracking chemicals that were repeatedly tested for EDC activity in human cells, 20 blocked the estrogen receptor, preventing estrogen from binding to the receptor and being able to have its natural biological response. Environmental Science & Technology 2013- Fracking flowback fluid typically contains high levels of salts, naturally occurring radioactive materials such as radium, and metals such as barium and strontium. A previous study had shown that standard treatment processes only partially remove these potentially harmful contaminants from wastewater before it was discharged back into streams and waterways, causing radioactivity to accumulate in stream sediments near disposal sites Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 2014- Found that fracking produced water containing potentially toxic chlorocarbons and organobromides, probably formed from interactions between high levels of bacteria in the water and the chemical treatments used in fracking fluids. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 2014- When fracking is done poorly, it can lead to the release of toxic chemicals into water and air. Primary threats to water resources include surface spills, wastewater disposal, and drinking-water contamination through poor well integrity. An increase in volatile organic compounds and air toxics locally are potential health threats. 2–20 million gallons of water, proppants such as sand, and chemicals are pumped underground at pressures sufficient to crack impermeable rock formations. A buildup of pressure inside the well annulus is called sustained casing pressure (SCP) and can force fluids out of the wellbore and into the environment. Seismological Research Letters (SRL) 2014- Hydraulic fracturing triggered a series of small earthquakes in 2013 on a previously unmapped fault in Harrison County, Ohio, USA . Nearly 400 small earthquakes occurred between Oct. 1 and Dec. 13, 2013, including 10 positive magnitude earthquake. The 10 positive magnitude earthquakes, which ranged from magnitude 1.7 to 2.2, occurred between Oct. 2 and 19, coinciding with hydraulic fracturing operations at nearby wells. This series of earthquakes is the first known instance of seismicity in the area. The timing of the earthquakes, along with their tight linear clustering and similar waveform signals, suggest a unique source for the cause of the earthquakes -- the hydraulic fracturing operation. Geophysical Research-Solid Earth 2013-Since records began in 1776, the people of Youngstown, Ohio had never experienced an earthquake. However, from January 2011, 109 tremors were recorded and research reveals how this may be the result of shale fracking. The earthquakes were centered in subsurface faults near the injection well. These shocks were likely due to the increase in pressure from the deep waste water injection which caused the existing fault to slip. The first earthquake recorded in the city occurred 13 days after pumping began, and the tremors ceased shortly after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources shut down the well in December 2011 GSA Annual Meeting & Exposition 2012-The same pre-fracking science approach is being taken in some areas to evaluate the seismic effects of disposing of fracking fluids by injecting them deep underground. In Ohio and Texas, this disposal method has been the prime suspect in the recent activation of old, dormant faults that have generated clusters of low intensity earthquakes Applied Geochemistry 2012- Improper disposal of the flowback can lead to unsafe levels of the salt and radioactive materials in water, biota and sediment from wells and streams. The high salinity and toxicity of these waters must be a key criterion in the technology for disposal of both the flowback waters and the continuing outflow of the production waters Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2012- The bad news is that the geochemical fingerprint of the salinity detected in well water from the Lock Haven, Alluvium and Catskill aquifers suggests a network of natural pathways exists in some locations, especially in valleys. These pathways allowed gases and Marcellus brine to migrate up into shallow groundwater aquifers from deeper underground shale gas deposits. This could mean that some drinking water supplies in northeastern Pennsylvania are at increased risk for contamination, particularly from fugitive gases that leak from shale gas well casings Further reading can be found at: ttp://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es5028184 acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2014/august/a-new-look-at-whats-in-fracking-fluids-raises-red-flags.html https://endocrine.org/news-room/current-press-releases/fracking-chemicals-disrupt-hormone-function https://endocrine.org/news-room/current-press-releases/hormone-disrupting-activity-of-fracking-chemicals-worse-than-initially-found nicholas.duke.edu/news/acid-mine-drainage-reduces-radioactivity-fracking-waste pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/em/c4em00376d#divAbstract annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-environ-031113-144051 eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/ssoa-hfl100614.php eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/w-hsf081913.php geosociety.org/news/pr/1287.htm eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/ps-aom121812.php deadcatpolitician.blogspot.au/
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 21:54:21 +0000
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