Fracking Brings Ammonium and Iodide to Local Waterways

Image: The findings have major implications for whether stronger regulations are needed to curb water pollution from fracking and other oil and gas industry operations. Credit: Jeff Turner/Flickr

scientificamerican.com - January 14th 2015 - Marianne Lavelle and The Daily Climate

Two hazardous chemicals never before known as oil and gas industry pollutants—ammonium and iodide—are being released and spilled into Pennsylvania and West Virginia waterways from the booming energy operations of the Marcellus shale, a new study shows.

The toxic substances, which can have a devastating impact on fish, ecosystems, and potentially, human health, are extracted from geological formations along with natural gas and oil during both hydraulic fracturing and conventional drilling operations, said Duke University scientists in a study published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

The chemicals then are making their way into streams and rivers, both accidentally and through deliberate release from treatment plants that were never designed to handle these contaminants, the researchers said.

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