Fracking in Your Neighborhood Means You’re More Likely to Have Cancer

These days, it seems like everything is having a major impact on our environment – and it should come as no surprise that what negatively impacts the environment also harms our health. Among the already existing concerns associated with this method of fossil fuel retrieval, which include ground water pollution and an overwhelming release of methane gas, a new study proves that cancer should now be added to the list.

For those of you that don’t exactly know what fracking is, it’s a method of fossil fuel extraction that’s been in use for more than 70 years. In the beginning, the process was a little less extravagant, but still required excessive use of chemicals, water and crystalline silica (sand) to extract fossil fuels. But, as of late, the process has become much more daunting. Oil companies are now drilling much deeper, and causing substantially more damage.

Not only does the fracking industry use over 500 chemicals in their operation, the practice itself releases toxic fumes into both the ground water and air in the surrounding areas. While many researchers have just begun looking into this recent phenomenon of large-scale drilling and the adverse effects it may cause, there is some existing proof to illustrate the negative effects this popular method is causing to humans and the environment alike.

While it’s no mystery that the introduction of these toxic chemicals into our neighborhoods will cause irreversible damage, and has been loosely linked to short-term illness, cancer, organ damage, nervous system disorders, birth defects, and death, there is still very little proof to support it. But, from what we do know, this process has a dramatic negative impact on our surroundings.

Reports of air quality close to a Wyoming drilling site illustrated a substantial increase in smog, at levels greater than whats been recorded in Los Angeles on its worst day. But thats not the worst of the environmental damage fracking has caused. As result of a faulty cement casing in Pavillion, Wyoming, a natural gas leak occurred which contaminated the community’s natural water source and and was the direct result of the gas and oil industry’s failure to take proper care in protecting against this. Aside from these very solid examples, we now have recorded evidence to illustrate the kind of damage this process can cause to our environment, and how it can directly impact those in proximity of the well.

A recent collaboration of OSU and the University of Cincinnati agricultural departments took a deeper look into the real effects fracking is having on residential areas surrounding extraction sites, which are becoming increasingly more popular across the Mid West. Volunteers living in close quarters to a fracking site in Carroll County, Ohio allowed researchers to install samplers on their properties for a three week period. These samplers were made of aluminum, and contained specially treated polyethylene ribbons that would absorb contaminants and react similarly to biological cells.

After the three week period, these data containers were sent back to the testing facility for evaluation. Researchers noted that the samplers picked up high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including some with known links to cancer. Kim Anderson, an environmental chemist who coauthored the study, said “Air pollution from fracking operations may pose an under-recognized health hazard to people living near them.” In the worst case scenario, for people closely exposed to these toxins, their risk level from exposure greatly exceeds what the EPA deems acceptable or safe.

So what can you do to protect yourself, and your loved ones, from the inevitable damage caused by fracking?

Until the government realizes the extreme impact this practice is having on our country, we must take steps to protect ourselves. You can start by taking the necessary steps to ensure that your immune system is properly eliminating free radicals and other cancer-causing toxins from your body. Fucoidan supplements, like Fucoidan Force, have been extensively researched and praised for their anti-cancer and immune supporting properties. Additionally, fucoidan supplements are known for their anti-inflammatory benefits, which can help soothe and prevent respiratory damage caused by inhaling toxic fracking chemicals.