New Study Shows Fracking May Worsen Asthma
An 8-year study in Pennsylvania found asthma treatments were four times more common in areas with bigger, active wells
A new study says that fracking may worsen asthma in children and adults who live near sites where the method is used. The 8-year study, which took place in Pennsylvania, found that asthma treatments were as much as four times more common in patients that live closer to areas with bigger, more active oil & gas wells.
The study did not, however, draw a direct line between fracking and asthma. There’s no way to tell if patients are worse off being exposed to fracking versus other forms of industrial activity.
The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday. The highest risk for asthma attacks occurred in people living a median of 12 miles from drilled wells, while the lowest risk was for people living a median of 40 miles away.