One of the worst activities that can affect the environment and cause extreme damage is fracking . Its name translates to hydraulic fracturing. This technique has generated great controversy due to its potentially harmful effects on the environment and human health. You have most likely heard about fracking in the media, especially since its use became widespread in countries like the United States. There have also been attempts to implement fracking in other countries, including several in Europe and Latin America.
In this article, we will explore in depth what fracking is, how it is carried out, and the environmental and health problems it brings. We will also look at the arguments for and against this technique, as well as the impacts it has on water, air, soil, and climate.
What is fracking
Fracking is a technique used to extract natural gas and oil from underground. This technique makes it possible to reach deposits that would otherwise be difficult to exploit due to the low permeability of the rock that contains them, typically shale or slate formations. The process consists of drilling a vertical well that can go from 1.600 to 2.000 meters deep, and then drilling horizontal holes to increase the extraction area. Subsequently, a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected at high pressure into the source rock. This process creates fractures in the rocks, which releases the trapped natural gas or oil.
The water mixture used in fracking contains small amounts of chemical additives, the composition of which varies depending on the company carrying out the operation. Sand, meanwhile, is used to keep the fractures open and prevent them from closing again. Although hydraulic fracturing has opened up resources that were previously economically unviable, it has raised significant concerns, particularly due to extensive water use, soil contamination and greenhouse gas emissions.
Fracking has spread rapidly since the 2010s, especially in the United States, where it has been key to energy self-sufficiency. However, it has also caused controversy in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Argentina, where communities have protested its impacts on the environment and human health. In some countries, such as France and Spain, its use has even been banned due to the associated dangers.
How Fracking Works
Fracking works by drilling a well into the ground, which can be either vertical or horizontal. The aim is to reach the rock formation containing the gas or oil. Once the desired area has been reached, a mixture of water, sand and chemical additives is injected into the drilled well at high pressure. The pressure causes small fractures to open in the rock, allowing the hydrocarbons to be released.
Water, in combination with other chemicals, has the function of dissolving certain parts of the rock, while sand acts as a proppant, preventing fractures from collapsing and closing again during extraction. Although the extracted gas or oil is the most visible result, a considerable amount of water contaminated with chemicals and natural elements present in rock formations, such as heavy metals and radioactive materials, also flows to the surface.
One of the most criticized aspects of fracking is that much of the chemicals used are not disclosed to the public, which creates distrust in the affected communities. In addition, the process generates a considerable amount of waste, both in the form of contaminated water and toxic sludge, which must be treated properly to avoid severe impacts on aquifers and people's health.
Dangers of fracking
Fracking carries a number of environmental and human health hazards. The main concerns center around water and air pollution, as well as seismic risks. As mentioned above, fracking requires the use of a large amount of water that is combined with toxic chemicals. This mixture is injected into the subsoil, which can lead to contamination of aquifers if the wells are not properly sealed or if leaks occur. This has been corroborated by research such as that conducted by Duke University and Cornell University, which indicates that fracking can introduce dangerous chemicals into groundwater sources.
Fracking also produces emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is around 25 times more harmful than CO2 in terms of its impact on global warming. While some defend fracking by arguing that natural gas has fewer emissions than coal, the impact of methane escaped during extraction can reverse this supposed benefit. Not to mention that fracking operations are often located in rural areas, leading to other side effects such as noise pollution and landscape deterioration.
Some of the chemicals used in fracking are known to be carcinogenic, such as benzene and lead. It is estimated that one in five chemicals used in fracking have toxic properties, which poses an additional health problem for people living near extraction sites.
Impacts on the environment
Fracking has a wide range of environmental impacts that go beyond water pollution. Below we list some of the most worrying aspects:
- Risks during drilling: Explosions or gas leaks are common, and some chemicals used may be radioactive.
- Contamination of aquifers: By injecting up to 200.000 m3 of water mixed with toxic products into each well, there is a high risk of contaminating groundwater reserves.
- Air pollution: Volatile gases released in the process, such as methane, pollute local air and aggravate climate change.
- Induced earthquakes: Fracking has been linked to increased seismic activity in certain areas, especially in regions near tectonic faults.
In addition to these, the natural landscape is also permanently altered, especially by the construction of infrastructure and platforms. This can destabilise natural ecosystems, affecting local flora and fauna. There is also a high impact on the energy consumption of the pumping plants used in the process, leading to increased demand for fossil fuels.
Water use in fracking
One of the most obvious and criticised impacts of fracking is the massive use of water. Each well uses between 4,5 and 13,2 million litres of water to fracture the rock, with chemical additives accounting for between 0,5 and 2% of the total volume. These millions of litres of water, which mostly come from local sources, put pressure on water resources, especially in areas where water is already a scarce resource.
The worrying thing is that much of this water cannot be reused once it is contaminated with chemicals used in fracking. Despite efforts to recycle some of the water, millions of litres are lost to the hydrological cycle and injected back into deep wells, which in turn can generate seismic movements.
Groundwater contamination is another concern. Although fracking companies claim that the rock layers seal any potential leaks, there is evidence that in some cases chemicals have seeped into drinking water sources. In countries like the United States, toxic substances, including benzene and lead, have been detected in the drinking water of regions near fracking areas.
Even when contaminated water returns to the surface, waste management remains an unsolved problem. Storage in temporary pits or evaporation ponds can put local ecosystems at risk.
Impact on air and atmosphere
Fracking not only pollutes water, but also the air. Various studies have shown that fracking operations generate greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane. Although natural gas is promoted as a cleaner source of energy than coal, methane leaks during the process have a considerable negative impact because methane is a much more potent global warming gas than CO2.
In addition, the use of heavy machinery at fracking plants also contributes to air pollution. These machines are generally powered by fossil fuels, which increases carbon emissions. Burning gas in flares (common practice at some fracking sites) also releases air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which can form ground-level ozone.
The effects on people can include respiratory problems, especially in communities near fracking sites. Inhalation of fine particles and toxic gases can lead to chronic diseases, such as asthma, and other lung conditions. In addition, noise pollution from machinery and vehicle traffic contributes to the degradation of the quality of life in affected areas.
Ultimately, fracking is presented as a temporary solution to energy demand, but its consequences can be persistent and difficult to mitigate. Despite regulations imposed in some countries, the environmental challenges posed by this technique continue to be a hot topic of debate around the world.