Abstract:
While the use of Natural gas and the process to extract it referred to as hydraulic fracturing are becoming more popular, the adverse effects it has on nearby residents raises concerns for its viability moving forward. Our focus was on the poisonous chemicals that are emitted from the process of hydraulic fracturing and the effects it had on the health of those exposed to those chemicals. In this paper we view the effects that hydraulic fracturing had on people who lived close to the wells where the hydraulic fracturing took place in order to highlight the true effects hydraulic fracturing has on the health of those who live close to these fracking wells. In such examinations we look at how it affected the weight of newborn babies from mothers that lived within a 1km radius of hydraulic fracturing wells compared to the average weight of a newborn. In addition to newborn baby weight we also looked at other various health effects it had on newborns such as increased hospital rates, asthma, and upper respiratory and neurological symptoms. Our goal is to establish the health effects that hydraulic fracturing has on nearby civilians and highlight the harmful nature this process has on the environment around it.
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