Critical evaluation of human health risks due to hydraulic fracturing in natural gas and petroleum production.

In conclusion, (1) strong evidence supports the conclusion that frac fluids can lead to local environmental contamination; (2) while changes in the chemical composition of soil, water and air are likely to occur, the increased levels are still often below threshold values for safety; (3) point source pollution due to poor maintenance of wells and pipelines can be monitored and remedied; (4) risk assessment should be based on both hazard and exposure evaluation; (5) while the concentrations of frac fluid chemicals are low, some are known carcinogens; therefore, thorough, well-designed studies are needed to assess the risk to human health with high certainty; (6) HF can represent a health risk via long-lasting contamination of soil and water, when strict safety measures are not rigorously applied.
PMID: 32385535 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Archives of Toxicology - May 8, 2020 Category: Toxicology Authors: Wollin KM, Damm G, Foth H, Freyberger A, Gebel T, Mangerich A, Gundert-Remy U, Partosch F, Röhl C, Schupp T, Hengstler JG Tags: Arch Toxicol Source Type: research