The Compendium of Scientific Studies on the Risks of Fracking is released annually by Physicians for Social Responsibility. Last year it compiled the over 1200 peer reviewed research articles now available on fracking risks, and concluded "Our examination…uncovered no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health."1
The study cites overwhelming evidence that fracking causes harm to drinking water supplies, public health and the climate, providing an authoritative counter-weight to the fracking industry’s claims of safe practice.
- Health concerns are growing as research is completed
- health concerns range across a broad range of issues, endocrine (hormone) disrupters, cancers and illness,
- Health concerns include mental health and social and cultural disturbance.
- Health concerns due to climate change are extreme and fossil fuels are causing this to increase
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PSE Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy have created The Repository for Oil and Gas Energy Research (ROGER) has a rapidly increasing database of Peer reviewed research into the health impacts of fracking. This research is showing increasing concerns about many aspects of the fracking process and the impacts of chemicals and methane leakage. |
The scientific community is only beginning to understand the impacts of shale gas fracking on human health and the environment. Many data gaps remain but numerous hazards and risks have been identified, and should present a clear caution to any jurisdiction targeted by the industry’s expansion.
Out of 685 published scientific papers2 on the impacts of unconventional gas development 3, ‘84% of public health studies show risks to public health, 69% of water studies show actual or potential water contamination and 87% of air quality studies show elevated air pollution’.
1 Toward an Understanding of the Environmental and Public Health Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Development: A Categorical Assessment of the Peer-Reviewed Scientific Literature, 2009-2015: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0154164
2 Toward an Understanding of the Environmental and Public Health Impacts of Unconventional Natural Gas Development: A Categorical Assessment of the Peer-Reviewed Scientific Literature, 2009-2015: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0154164