Benzene in the water and air. Chemical by-products such as ethylbenzene, styrene and toluene in children's bodies, at levels that exceed the average by as much as 91 times and are even higher than those expected in the body of a smoker. This is what researchers from Environmental health science found in the immediate vicinity of natural gas extraction sites using hydraulic fracturing of rock, or fracking, in Pennsylvania.

What fracking is and what risks it entails

From 2005 onwards, the United States adopted fracking on a massive scale to extract natural gas from shale rock — that is, rock formed from parallel layers that break apart easily (hence the term shale gas). The technique involves drilling down into the ground to reach deep deposits, then injecting a jet of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure to fracture the rock (or widen existing fissures) and allow the gas to escape.

In doing so, the US has managed to free itself at least partly from dependence on energy imports. But at the cost of a number of environmental and health hazards. Hydraulic fracturing of rock requires large quantities of water (with the resulting waste) and harmful chemicals, some of which remain underground, risking contamination of groundwater. There are also fears that the operations may trigger minor seismic tremors.

Upon taking office as President of the United States, Joe Biden imposed a moratorium on new permits for oil and gas extraction on federal lands and waters. This does not mean, however, that he has banned fracking or that he intends to do so: he made that clear to journalists himself.

How the investigation into fracking in Pennsylvania was conducted

According to the US Energy information administration, Pennsylvania is second only to Texas in natural gas production, with a 20 per cent share of the US total. It was here that the non-profit organisation Environmental health science focused its investigation, which lasted approximately two years.

The New Yorker ✓ @NewYorker

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There has long been evidence that fracking waste may be dangerous. Is it the cause of a rare form of cancer killing young people in Pennsylvania? nyer.cm/IQ6buVE

♥ 66💬 3 4 mar 2021 · Apri su X →

In the summer of 2019, researchers collected 59 urine samples, 39 air samples and 13 water samples, focusing on five families of non-smokers with at least one child. Three of them lived within two miles of several fracking wells, gas pipelines and compressor stations. The other two, however, lived at least five miles from the nearest active site. Researchers from the University of Missouri then examined the material in a laboratory to identify around forty chemical substances.

From this sample it is not possible to draw sufficient scientific evidence to demonstrate any cause-and-effect relationship, the authors make clear. Nevertheless, it represents a starting point for important reflection and for stimulating further research.

Toxic substances in children's bodies

Washington County is home to the highest concentration of hydraulic fracturing sites in the entire state: 1,584 in 2,230 square kilometres. That is where Gunnar lives, who was 13 years old at the time of the study. In his urine, eleven harmful chemical substances were found, including benzene, toluene and naphthalene, linked to a long list of health problems: respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders, eye and skin irritation, damage to the reproductive system and an increased risk of cancer. These chemical substances are found in petrol, pesticides, industrial solvents and cigarette smoke. And also in atmospheric emissions from sites where shale gas is extracted.

Environmental Health News @EHNewsroom

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For years families worried about #fracking exposures weren't being tested.

So we did the #science ourselves, testing for fracking chemicals in the air, water, and people of W. Pennsylvania.

These are their stories.

ehn.org/fractured-seri… @KristinaSaurusR #fracturedUSA

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Gunnar is just one of the children who took part in the analysis. In the urine of a nine-year-old child, a biomarker for toluene was found at a level 91 times higher than the average. It is reasonable to hypothesise that fracking has had an influence, since higher concentrations of harmful substances were found in the families living closest to the extraction sites. The carcinogens detected in the air, furthermore, exceed safety thresholds. The Environmental health science study thus adds to the long list of studies on the health effects of fracking: from premature births to migraines, from respiratory problems to skin and urinary infections.