Study: Fracking emissions could cause serious illnesses

Air pollution from hydraulic fracturing may contribute to acute and chronic health problems for those living near natural gas drilling sites, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Colorado-Denver School of Public Health monitored air in Garfield County for three years and found toxic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified benzene as a known carcinogen.

The report follows a request by the county in Western Colorado to assess the potential effects the wells might have on health.

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Researchers found that residents living closer to wells have a greater risk of getting cancer from emissions caused by natural gas development.

They also have a greater risk of suffering from eye irritation, sore throat, headaches and difficulty breathing, according to the study.

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, involves pumping water and chemicals into a drilled area to release natural gas. The greatest effect on health comes from short-term, but high-emission well completion periods, according to the study.

Lisa McKenzie, the study’s lead author and research associate at the university, analyzed air sample data collected from monitoring stations by the Garfield County Department of Public Health and Olsson Associates Inc. McKenzie estimated health effects based on other toxicology studies.

“You measure that risk by both taking into consideration the concentrations that have been measured in the air and then the amount of exposure that you estimate an individual population would have: how long they live in an area, how long they’re going to be breathing the air,” she said.

The report, accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Science of the Total Environment, urges a reduction in emissions and encourages researchers to conduct additional studies.