With the rising global energy demand, shale gas has been considered as the next big thing for energy producers. Fracking is a technology use to extract that natural gas stored deep underground. Although fracking can collect plenty of natural gases, it has left a number of very serious impacts both on the environment and human health. Air pollution, water contamination and threaten human health are the consequences caused by fracking.
Air pollution problem is so obvious for the communities near fracking processes. Some offensive odours are always come from shale gas compression stations and processing facilities. They are contaminated air with high concentrations of dangerous chemicals. Studies showed that the released chemicals called VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds, which consists of carcinogens and potent greenhouse gases (Kaldor,2013).Nowadays, over 1000 tons of OVCs are releasing into the air every day , it decreases the air quality hugely. As long as more frackings are processing, the air are getting more polluted.
Air quality is a major concern, but the biggest problem to fracking is water contamination. The cement casing on the shale wells has failed and released methane to contaminate drinking water. Some chemicals leak into the groundwater, which is the main source of drinking water, are too toxic to use any more. For example, in Dimock , Pennsylvania, fouled drinking water near fracking operations is higher polluted than other areas without fracking. Statisticians report that areas within a kilometre of a shale gas well are 15 to 20 times more excessive methane in their water. This high level of concentration is enough to blow up a house(Kaldor,2013). Neither industries nor scientists can name a solution to the water pollution problem so far, the local communities have to rely on bottle waters for daily actives, because they are afraid to turn on the faucets one more time.
Besides, some obvious symptoms happen to residents nearby gas