Fracking linked to Radioactive Gas (Radon) in Homes

[Divernan]

We Pennsylvanians can "thank", cough/blame/cough both Dem. Governor Rendell & GOP Gov. Corbett for the fracking. Rendell was Gov. from 2003 to 2011; Corbett from 2011 to 2015. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the world after smoking, according to the the Environmental Protection Agency. Approximately 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes are believed to have radon levels above the recommended limits, according to the state DEP.

The researchers were careful to note that the side-by-side increases in radon and fracking only represented a correlation, and should not be taken as a declaration that fracking directly caused an increased radon presence in homes. However, study leader Brian Schwartz told ThinkProgress that it’s possible fracking could be the cause, and noted that more research is needed on the subject.

The amount of radioactive material in Pennsylvania homes has increased alongside the state’s fracking boom, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health asserted that levels of radon — a odorless, carcinogenic, radioactive gas — have been on the rise in Pennsylvania homes since 2004, around the same time the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) began rapidly increasing the number of permits it issued for unconventional gas drilling. There had been no similar increases in indoor radon concentrations prior to 2004, the study said.

The research is not the first to raise concerns about radioactivity exposure from Pennsylvania’s fracking operations. The state’s Marcellus Shale — the underground rock formation where gas is derived from — contains a lot of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or NORM. Specifically, the Marcellus Shale has 20 times more NORM than typical shale formations, according to the Institute for Energy & Environmental Research.

Because of this, there’s evidence that radioactive elements have made their way into the environment, particularly though wastewater. Fracking uses a lot of water to blast underground shale rock, and the produced water that’s leftover from Marcellus Shale drilling operations contains on average nearly 500 times as much radon as the federal drinking water limit, according to the Johns Hopkins study. That water is generally injected back underground in disposal wells or stored in pits, where it can leach into the environment.

After analyzing the radon data, the study found a “statistically significant association” between how close houses are to Marcellus Shale fracking wells and how much radon is concentrated on the houses’ first floors in the summertime. This, the study said, “suggests a pathway through outdoor ambient air, but does not rule out the possibility of radon moving from the basement to the first floor.”

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/09/3644539/pennsylvania-fracking-radon-study/

[djean111]

1. This is one of the reasons I moved out of North Carolina two years after a transfer.

Beautiful gorgeous state. Four of my female co-workers got breast cancer and died. That I know of. I think the building we worked in was built over radon deposits. You have to get a radon survey before you can sell a house, at least around Durham. No thanks. I brought my breasts to Florida. At least I can see termites. (In a house.)

[Divernan]

3. I observed increased cancer rates in women working in PA state capitol, post TMI.

TMI occurred in 1979. I worked in Harrisburg from 1993 to 2003. Flying into Harrisburg airport took one's plane within several hundred yards of TMI. Most of my co-workers for the state legislature were lifelong residents. Between 2000 and 2003, 3 of my female co-workers, in their 50's, all in good health and non-smokers, with no family history of cancer, died of cancer. In researching TMI, I found that there was a decades long cover-up of radiation exposure. I sincerely hope the same will not prove true of fracking and radiation in the state.
(From a 2014 report)

Today marks 35 years since the meltdown at Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Despite the long passage of time, myths and misinformation about the disaster still abound. Many questions may remain permanently unanswered.

The consequences of the TMI disaster were made more serious because, early on, emergency planning officials were repeatedly misinformed about the disaster's progression and kept in the dark about the need for public protective actions.

Information control - However, the most notable parallel between the three disasters is the control of information. By suppressing weather data, evacuations were delayed or directed into the radioactive plume path.

There were deliberate under-estimations of the radiation releases and the true severity of the disaster was hushed up. This was done in order to protect the nuclear industry's reputation and to allay "panic".

This meant that public health was compromised to protect the industry's public image. For example, potassium iodide - which can protect the thyroid - was unavailable to exposed populations around TMI, Chernobyl and Fukushima, leading to elevated rates of thyroid problems, including cancer.

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2334940/three_mile_island_35_years_on.html

[div class="excerpt"

]A second look at a landmark study on the 1979 Three Mile Island radiation release has found that people near the nuclear reactor are suffering from extremely high rates of cancer.

The original study, performed by Columbia University, is often cited as evidence that the TMI accident near Harrisburg, Penn. caused no ill effects to the people exposed to the radiation. (Their data was only from 1975 to 85.)

But Steve Wing, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has conducted a reevaluation of the Columbia University study, and published his results in the January 1997 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.

Using better analytic and statistical techniques, he found that among the 20,000 people who lived near the plant and close to the plume's path, lung cancer and leukemia rates were two or more times higher than what they were near the plant but upwind from the plume. Among those in the most direct path of the plumes, lung cancer incidence went up by 300 to 400 percent, and leukemia rates were up by 600 to 700 percent.

"Several hundred people at the time of the accident reported nausea, vomiting, hair loss and skin rashes, and a number said their pets died or had symptoms of radiation exposure," he said. "We figured that if that were possible, we ought to look at it again. After adjusting for pre-accident cancer incidence, we found a striking increase in cancers downwind from Three Mile Island."

The scientists do not believe smoking and social and economic factors were responsible for the increased cancers found in the downwind sectors.

http://www.albionmonitor.com/9703a/3milecancer.html

[Buzz Clik]

2. "However, study leader Brian Schwartz told ThinkProgress..." Ugh.

Last edited Thu Apr 9, 2015, 02:04 PM - Edit history (1)

I hate this: Our data cannot demonstrate cause and effect, but there may be a cause-and-effect relationship.

Prior to fracking, the incidence of radon in homes in Pennsylvania was huge (see map below). Also note that the trend in radon in the southeast portion of the state is where they are seeing the greatest increases in radon. So ... it's not new radon occurrences, it's more radon in the same places.



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EDIT: A brief comment about radon mitigation was deleted.

[Divernan]

4. Radon remediation is expensive and not that simple!

http://home.costhelper.com/radon-mitigation.html
Typical costs:

A radon test kit, including laboratory analysis, costs $15-$35. Short-term test kits cost a little bit less than long-term test kits. Radon test kits are available at most home improvement stores, including Lowes[1] and the home section of Wal-Mart[2] .
Just sealing cracks and holes in the foundation can cost as little as $100, but this method alone has limited effectiveness. Ventilating the home and crawlspace is a temporary and limited fix.
Passive and active suction systems cost $550-$2,500 depending on the size of the house. These systems offer the best radon reduction available. The EPA's Installation and Operating Cost Table[3] lists how much a radon mitigation system should cost based on the type of foundation.
Operating a radon mitigation system costs from nothing up to $700 per year. Many radon mitigation systems have fans that require continuous electric power that can add to power bills. Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) and natural ventilation can result in significant losses of heat or air conditioning, leading to much higher energy costs.

Additional costs:

Ground water wells can also be tested for radon, then, if needed, can get a water radon mitigation system installed. Installing a water radon mitigation system runs from $1,000-$4,500, and maintenance runs $0 to $150 annually. To find out about radon content in a city water system, call the local water provider.
It's wise to retest a home's radon level every year or two after a mitigation system is installed.
Most radon mitigation systems include a fan, which will need to be replaced about every 5 years. Expect to pay $250-$300 to have this necessary maintenance done.

[Divernan]

6. Approximately 40% of PA homes have radon levels above recommended limits.

And that's just DEP's rough estimate. Obviously many, many Pennsylvanians are being exposed to this major cause of lung cancer, through lack of knowledge and/or lack of funds for remediation. Even without the potential link to fracking/waste water, the state needs to address this. That's where I'm going with this.

I get that the cost is no problem for you, and you can afford to protect your family from this carcinogen, and that's fine - for you. I found your comment that this problem can be "easily swept away" as insensitive to the reality of the many people less well off than you. I've been working as a VITA tax preparation volunteer - and can tell you that there are many working poor in my state who can't afford dental care or eyeglasses, or school supplies or new shoes for growing kids. If they can move out of living in their cars to some falling down, inexpensive rental house, they're not going to hassle the slumlord about radon. On the other hand, the state could require that all rental properties be tested for radon, and remediated if necessary. That would be a start. That's my opinion - but hey, I'm one of those radical, progressive, old-fashioned Democrats.

[Buzz Clik]

7. Oh, stop. Here: I'll delete to comment just to get you to quit.

Jesus effin' christ.