A study released last week in the
journal Environmental Health reveals further evidence of the damaging impact of
fracking on air quality.
Studies on the
environmental implications of hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as
fracking, has largely focused on the impact on water systems. This recent
study, produced by the Center for
Science, Technology, and Society at Drexel University, reveals that the
practice of fracking extends to air pollution.
Researchers utilized a new approach
to choosing sites for air quality monitoring – mobilizing citizens to identify
the areas where sampling was most likely to show the continuous impact of fracking
emissions. Citizens chose places in their communities where they noticed a high
degree of industrial activity, visible emissions or health symptoms that could
be caused by air pollution.
The response produced a large sum
of evidence that demonstrated that fracking has a substantial impact on local
air quality - a practice that has been
building momentum in recent years in conjunction with improved technology and
information exchange.
The study was further leveraged as
political power. In a companion report, released by the non-profit Coming
Clean, the study’s citizen-authors presented their findings to government
officials in the affected areas to argue that governments should be cautious
when issuing permits and to call for more extensive monitoring and oversight.
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