The Environment and Health and Safety

**121**

**Chapter 7**

Fracturing

*Tanja Srebotnjak*

hydraulic fracturing.

psychosocial health risks

**1. Introduction**

**Abstract**

Human Health Risks of

Unconventional Oil and Gas

Development Using Hydraulic

Advances in hydraulic fracturing technologies, and unconventional oil and gas (UOG) generally, spurred a boom in energy production in the United States. The rapid expansion of UOG has brought oil and gas production closer to homes, schools, and work places and thus increased potential human exposure to a range of chemicals, pollutants, and other health risks. Releases of such chemicals and pollutants occur throughout the full life cycle of UOG beginning with well-site preparation and continuing through hydraulic fracturing, well completion into production, well maintenance, and finally the plugging or abandoning of the well. While the risks to workers on UOG sites differ from those living, working or recreating nearby, both groups may be exposed to chemical and hazardous materials and injuries related to accidents and spills. This chapter characterizes the main occupational and public health risks throughout the life cycle of a hydraulically fractured well. Focusing on common practices in the United States, it identifies the main types of risks and pathways for human exposure. As a review, the chapter summarizes the peer-reviewed literature available to date, highlighting regulatory responses and identifying gaps in the current understanding of the risks involved in

**Keywords:** hydraulic fracturing, unconventional oil and gas development, health risk, air pollution, water pollution, occupational health risks,

Advances in technologies that allow directional drilling coupled with highvolume hydraulic fracturing have made large unconventional oil and gas deposits accessible in the United States. The Energy Information Agency (EIA) estimates that in 2017 approximately 60% of U.S. dry natural gas production came from shale resources [1]. Similarly, oil production from tight oil formations rose from a negligible fraction in 2000 to 50% of total crude oil production in 2017 [2]. This growth has brought oil and gas production and related infrastructure closer to towns and communities in more than 20 states, with more than 15 active shale plays, and
