In an effort to source gas and oil that lies beneath the earth’s surface, the practice known as fracking was born. The term fracking means to fracture a solid rock using heavy duty hydraulic equipment. The fracking industry has long claimed that fracking is a completly safe and beneficial practice; that it is an efficient way of sourcing American gas and oil. Those who live near fracking sites and have experienced property destruction and health deterioration firsthand disagree. Here are 5 things that we know about the health effects of fracking:
1. Cancer
The exposure the environmental toxins is a huge concern for the increase in cancer cases near fracking zones. Some environmental cancers take years to present themselves, but others have been presenting themselves in a rapidly increasing fashion.
2. Infertility
Fracking involves a huge amount of toxic chemicals, with a large percentage of these being are endocrine disruptors, which mimic hormones and can wreak havoc on an otherwise healthy body. The reproductive system is especially sensitive to chemical exposure and the alarmingly high rate of infertility in fracking areas has been documented.
3. Respiratory Issues
Venting emissions that occur during the fracking process are a major culprit to the air pollution that is thought to cause intense bouts of respiratory distress among residents living near a fracking site.
4. Low Birth Weight
Babies born to mothers living in a fracking zone are at a much increased risk of being born at a low birth weight than babies born outside of the area. The exposure to toxic chemicals does not allow the fetus to grow as it would without the harmful effects of the chemicals.
5. Headaches and Dizziness
Constant exposure to toxic chemicals from a fracking site can cause a great deal of distress. Many residents experience some level of headaches and/or dizziness, starting only once the fracking operation began.
Fracking is an issue that is currently being hotly debated, and deserves more research and insight. Good Vibrations industrial sensors have been used to prove the impact that fracking has on the surrounding environment. These sensors have shown that fracking has the equivalent effect as a micro earthquake. These findings, along with accounts of health problems plaguing areas near fracking sites must be taken seriously to protect the families that are being affected by the fracking industry.