Over the past ten years in the United States, unconventional gas and oil drilling using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has experienced a meteoric increase. Since well drilling requires an influx of water, materials and workers into yotherwise rural and remote areas, the question has been: could air, water and noise pollution negatively impact on the health of nearby residents?
A study published last year suggested that hydraulic fracturing and proximity to active well drilling are associated with congenital heart disease and low birth weight newborns.
In research from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University published this week in PLoS One, my colleagues and I found that hospitalizations for heart conditions, neurologic illness and other maladies were higher among people who live near unconventional gas and oil drilling.
The finding suggests that these people are exposed to stressors, such as toxic substances and noise, that can lead to a higher rates of hospitalizations.<...
