Health Problems Tied to Fracking, Medical Researchers Say

There are correlations between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and a range of health issues for Pennsylvania residents, including nasal and sinus problems, migraines and fatigue, according to a study released on Thursday by the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

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The ireport, "Environmental Health Perspectives," is the school's third study over the span of the last year, focusing on the adverse health effects of the controversial method for extracting gas from solid rock deposits, increasingly used in Pennsylvania.

Last fall, researchers from the Maryland-based Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, found an association between fracking and high-risk pregnancies and premature births, and in July also found ties between fracking and asthma.

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The process of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into deep rock formations to release trapped gas. The practice has been largely criticized by civil society, who warn it is harmful to public health and the environment.

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Most of the oil companies that extract gas through fracking claim that their technology is safe and last year the Obama administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a report that fracking isn’t causing widespread damage to the nation’s drinking water.

However studies like the John Hopkins one, show that these claims are untrue. Additionally, the news site, Common Dreams reports that a 2014 investigation revealed that health workers in Pennsylvania were silenced by the Pennsylvania State Department of Health and told not to respond to health inquiries that used certain fracking "buzzwords."

According to the most recent Gallup poll, support for fracking among U.S. citizens has slipped to 36 percent, while opposition has climbed to 51 percent.