Link Between Hospitalizations and Nearby Fracking
Residents of Northern Pennsylvania counties who live near hydraulic fracturing sites are 27 percent more like to suffer heart conditions, neurological illnesses and cancer, a new study published in PLOS One shows.
For the study, researchers from the University of Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania analyzed 198,000 hospitalizations records from 2007 to 2011 in northern Pennsylvania counties. A selection of 25 medical scenarios was created, and then researchers used each one to associate each case with its proximity to where fracking occurs. The team found that there were more hospitalizations in areas where fracking occurs. The study found that individuals who lived in one of 18 zip codes with a well density higher than 0.79 wells per square kilometer had a 27 percent higher chance of suffering from heart conditions, neurological illnesses and cancer, according to PulseHeadlines.com, which viewed the study.
Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting water, sand and various chemicals into shale rock to release oil and gas. The process saves drilling companies money by removing the need for explosive or very powerful drilling machines, according to PulseHeadlines.com.
Fracking is highly controversial, and environmentalists have called for an end to the practice, which they – and, increasingly, scientists – say causes pollution and health problems. Fracking chemicals can pollute groundwater and the atmosphere. New York and California have banned hydraulic fracturing, as did the community of Denton, Texas. Oklahomans are calling for a ban on fracking, and the European Union Directorate-General or the U.K. Department of Health has also expressed concern over the potential dangers of hydraulic fracturing, PulseHeadlines.com reports.
from Parker Waichman http://www.yourlawyer.com/blog/researchers-find-a-link-between-hospitalizations-for-health-problems-and-nearby-fracking/
No comments:
Post a Comment