14 DAY TRIAL // As if studies linking fracking to earthquakes and groundwater contamination were not reason enough to make folks frown upon this practice, a recent investigation carried out by researchers working with the University of Missouri has shown that hydraulic fracturing can also cause endocrine disruptions.
The specialists detail that, according to their investigations into the matter at hand, at least 11 chemicals used in fracking either for oil or natural gas act as endocrine disruptors.
Thus, after carrying out a series of laboratory tests on 12 different chemicals commonly used in hydraulic fracturing, the scientists found that 11 of them interfered with estrogen hormones and blocked them, 10 had the same effect on androgen hormones and another one mimicked estrogen.
“More than 700 chemicals are used in the fracking process, and many of them disturb hormone function,” researcher Susan Nagel, Ph.D, explains, as cited by EcoWatch.
“With fracking on the rise, populations may face greater health risks from increased endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure,” she adds.
Given the fact that, according to several previous investigations, there is a link between exposure to such endocrine-disrupting chemical compounds and several medical conditions such as cancer, birth defects and infertility, this discovery should not be taken lightly.
The University of Missouri researchers also argue that, as evidence at hand shows, water sources located in the proximity of hydraulic fracturing sites have a greater potential to disturb an individual's hormonal balance than water sources in fracking-free regions do.
The scientists reached this conclusion after collecting and analyzing water samples from various sites.
“We found more endocrine-disrupting activity in the water close to drilling locations that had experienced spills than at control sites,” Susan Nagel details.
“This could raise the risk of reproductive, metabolic, neurological and other diseases, especially in children who are exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals,” the researcher warns.
A paper detailing the outcome of this investigation into how chemical compounds used in hydraulic fracturing can affect a person's hormonal balance is set to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Endocrinology.