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Harms unknown: health uncertainties cast doubt on the role of unconventional gas in Australia's energy future
Author(s) -
Carey Marion G,
Redmond Helen,
Haswell Melissa R
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja14.00393
Subject(s) - public health , medical school , library science , community health , citation , energy (signal processing) , sociology , medicine , medical education , nursing , computer science , statistics , mathematics
210 MJA 200 (4) · 3 March 2014 main sources of public concern. While the risk of well casing failure, spills and other accidents cannot be dismissed,3,4 these can be mitigated (though not removed entirely) by proper regulation and the move towards “safer” fracturing fl uids. However, although any exposure would likely be to heavily diluted chemicals, the toxicological effects of some chemicals in their dilute form are not well understood.5,6 In particular, chemicals affecting the endocrine system — such as ethoxylated 4-nonylphenol, which has been used in Australian operations6 — can affect humans at extremely low quantities.7 The fate of stranded fracturing fl uids (those remaining underground) has also not been well established, and there is a signifi cant failure rate for abandoned wells in the United States, leading to materials leaking into the surrounding areas.8 Additionally, while the minor seismic activity caused by fracturing is unlikely to result in earthquakes of a magnitude that can be felt, it introduces a further risk of damage to well casings. However it is wastewater, which contains naturally occurring contaminants that are diffi cult and costly to Alicia Coram PhD Research Associate, Nossal Institute for Global Health