Environmental concerns with fracking

Fracking has been linked to a number of potentially serious environmental concerns, such as groundwater and air pollution, elevated levels of radioactivity, and even earthquakes. Groundwater contamination is an especially serious issue, as it can lead to drinking water contamination if contamination moves from where the fracking is taking place. Contamination can be caused by chemicals used in the fracking process, or by the leaking of methane gas, a potential health hazard. Ingested or inhaled chemicals or methane gas can have a devastating health impact on humans and animals. Air pollution is also a concern, as the process of fracking releases volatile organic compounds into the air, which contributes to smog production. These compounds can be breathed into the lungs and can be potentially dangerous for both human and ecosystem health. Radioactivity is present in the wastewater produced by fracking, which can contaminate soils and groundwater when the wastewater is released over the land or dispersed in saline water bodies. Radioactive deposits left deep in the earth can also be brought to the surface and released into the air. Finally, there are concerns that fracking operations can cause earthquakes by triggering seismic activity as a result of injecting water and other chemical solutions into deep shale formations, which can destabilize the underlying rock strata.