...residential backyard burn barrels in rural areas, are never accounted for. To the residential homeowner burning trash has been for centuries the means of disposing refuse in areas that do not have organized garbage collection. As the modern industrial chemical production continues to increase, making products that make everyday life in the modern world more accessible, burning that waste stream at low temperatures products highly toxic compounds releasing not only in the air via smoke but also in ash runoff, and smoke fume condensation on possible food sources. Countless toxicological studies have been conducted on dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs). That information will be leveraged here to compliment the toxicity and pollutant effects of these chemicals, yet the emphasis is not political, environmental, nor humanitarian. It is about highlighting the non-industrial emissions, choices in some cases, and for others the realization, that these toxic chemicals are a result of disposing product we receive from the modern industrialized world. Dioxins, furans and PCBs are unwanted by-products of burning of household trash, oil heating, burning wood stoves, and diesel exhaust smoke, and certain industrial processes. The EPA, now considers non-industrial burning of household wastes in burn barrels to be the largest emissions source of dioxins, furans and PCBs (Dow Chemical, 2014). Dioxins, furans, and PCBs, are all considered toxic to...
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...reproductive problems. People exposed to this contaminant have reported nose and eye irritation, headaches, vomiting, and a metallic taste. However, due to low regulation levels, it is difficult for customers to know if their cleaners contain this chemical because it is not listed on the label. Federal and state governments do not regulate air pollution inside the home. An early cleaning company that branded itself as being nontoxic and environmentally friendly used this chemical in its products but did not label it in order to “protect its formula from piracy.” Companies such as Clorox Co. and S.C. Johnson also use this chemical without printing it on the label. They were able to do so when EGBE was removed from the list of hazardous air pollutants and maintains a guideline of for how to prevent chronic inhalation exposure. However, it is a guideline, not a regulation. Professors at University of California, Berkeley not that the EPA erred when it removed the chemical from the hazardous...
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...The Tragedy of Polar Bears Polar bears in the Arctic are tremendously affected by pollution now. As global warming progresses, wind and water currents carry pollutants, most of which come from industrial sources in different parts of the world, and cause them to travel to the Arctic because of the ‘conveyor belt’ nature of the atmosphere and ocean (Yarim 2013). These chemicals accumulate in the fat of many animals, mainly through the food chain, which are then eaten by top predators such as polar bears. Thus, polar bears inevitably have severe health problems and risk death. When consumed at high levels, the pollutants can have a dramatic and potentially fatal impact, which affects the polar bear population in the Arctic severely. The most prevalent chemicals found in the Arctic are “Persistent Organic pollutants (POPs)”, such as the pesticide DDT, the industrial chemical polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which can biomagnify up the food chain. Other pollutants may include acid rain, heavy metals and radioactive isotopes (Yarim 2013). According to studies, bears with high levels of some POPs have low levels of vitamin A, thyroid hormones, and some antibodies (WWF Global 2009). The pollutants load of polar bears in the Arctic are negatively affecting the immune system, hormone regulation, growth patterns, reproduction, and survival rates of polar bears. The studies have suggested that the immune system is weaker in some polar bears with higher levels of PCBs. A weakened...
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...introduction in the late 1990’s. This method is called hydraulic fracturing, or better known as fracking. This form of drilling technique has made it possible to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves that had before been considered difficult to retrieve. This development has led the energy industry in the United States to raise dramatically its estimates of the nation’s natural gas and oil reserves and has caused fracking drills to pop up all across the nation. But fracking has also brought with it criticism due to concerns over groundwater contamination, air pollution, and other...
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...The Impact of Fracking on Global Warming Meteorology I 24 July 2014 With the world hungry for fuel and environmentalists longing for a clean solution to carbons, a questionable method of extraction has entered the skirmish. Creating jobs and supply of fuel that may eventually limit the need of the America’s oil consumption, hydraulic fracturing is not without controversy. While some see it as a viable answer to the nation’s needs, others claim the damage done will be irreversible. Claiming that during the process of hydraulic fracturing, methane gas is released into the earth’s atmosphere, environmentalists are assuring this is adding to the already overabundance of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere generated from industry, people, and raising livestock. The exiting of greenhouse gases is increasing the blanket like effect around earth, thus impacting global warming and creating climate changes. “Fracking” also known as hydraulic fracturing is a process that is used to extract geothermal energy, oil, and natural gas from shale rock formation thousands of feet below the grounds surface. It involves pumping a mixture of thousands of gallons of water, sand and chemicals such as salts to make fluid flow quicker, acids to dissolve rock and petroleum distillates to reduce friction, under high pressure into a well drilled horizontally in the Marcellus layer of the earth. This process causes the rock formations to fracture and creates fissures that...
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...United States (U.S.). Natural gas is an odorless, colorless hydrocarbon composed mostly of methane found deep in the earth in formations known as shale. In mid-1997, George Mitchell, an independent prospector made a discovery that would change the natural gas exploration industry for the twenty-first century. (Hinton, 2012). The modification of the well completion technology known as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling allowed the oil and gas industry the ability to tap into natural gas reserves trapped in shale deposits miles beneath the earths’ surface. (Hinton, 2012). Mitchell found that forcing fracking fluid at extremely high pressure into the shale formations created fissures in surrounding rock releasing the hydrocarbons and capturing them in the well head. The fracking fluid, also referred to as slick water, is made up of water, chemicals, and sand. Heywood (2012) reports that members of the energy and commerce committee of the U.S. House of Representatives said that between 2005 and 2009 the oil and gas service companies were using over 2,500 fracking products with 750 different chemicals. Some of these chemicals are harmless including salt and citric acid. However, some are extremely hazardous to include benzene, arsenic lead, and methanol. The exact makeup of the fluids used by the industry is unknown due to protection by trade secret laws. In 2005, Congress passed an energy bill excluding the oil and gas industry and the process...
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...Is Natural Gas Worth It? Fracking, what is it? Fracking or hydraulic fracturing is the fracturing the shale rock to release the natural gas inside by drilling or injecting fluid into the ground at high pressure. According to thedangersoffracking.com each job uses from 1 to 8 million gallons of water mixed with chemicals to make fracking fluid. The fracking fluid contains up to six hundred chemicals including numerous carcinogens and toxins. In this essay I will be explaining why fracking should be stopped. First, the air quality around the fracking sites has become dangerous. The emissions are leaking from wells; the most notable offender being methane which is a greenhouse gas commonly is linked to being a component of global warming. The air has contained chemicals like benzene, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These chemicals have been known to cause lung related issues as well as several types of cancer. In high enough doses these chemicals could cause death, in humans and livestock alike. Volatile organic compounds are released into the atmosphere from the waste fluid produced during fracking. These waste fluids are unsafely left in open air pits to evaporate creating acid rain, ground level ozone and contaminated air. All of these unnatural occurrences are devastating to surrounding communities, and ecological systems. The once pristine fields in Wyoming now have an ozone count higher than LA on its worse days (Jackson 3). The amount of children with asthma has risen...
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...solid fuel use is responsible for almost 2 million annual deaths and 2.7% of the global burden of disease. This makes this risk factor the second biggest environmental contributor to ill health, behind unsafe water and sanitation. Acute lower respiratory infections, in particular pneumonia, continue to be the biggest killer of young children and cause more than 2 million annual deaths. (World) In many communities like Libby, Montana, woodstove heating is a large contributor to wintertime pollution. Because wood burning typically occurs in residential areas, the intake fraction of pollutants inhaled to pollutants emitted was comparable to that of traffic pollution. To address this, Libby conducted a woodstove exchange program that encouraged residents to replace older stoves with newer, cleaner burning models. In all, 90% of woodstoves were replaced or removed. Concentrations of woodstove pollutants have been reduced by 20% - 64% during the November to February period. Additionally, preliminary analysis across the four winter seasons following the exchange shows decreased reporting of childhood wheeze. (Giles) Numerous interventions have been found that reduce indoor air pollution and the associated health effects. These interventions target the source of the pollution, the living environment and the behavior of the user. For instance, the largest reductions can be realized by transitioning from solid fuels to alternative fuel sources that are cleaner and more efficient. Other...
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...Hydraulic fracturing, which is sometimes called fracking, is when water mixed with various chemicals and other things is pumped into layers of slate, causing the natural gases trapped inside to be released and available for use. It is also causing horrible things and needs to stop. If hydraulic fracturing is stopped, the environment will be healthier, and people living near fracking wells will be more secure in their health and safety. One argument against this is that we need fracking to support the growing need for energy. Source #5 describes that now that we are in an age of tech where the world needs more energy than ever, it is possible we could run out of common energy resources. Experts fear that these shortages could trigger a major...
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...FRACKING: GOOD THING Natural gas is rapidly emerging as a major fuel of the world economy, meeting the rising requirements of natural gas is hard to achieve. Fracking is one of the most important technologies for natural gas production. Fracking has been used widely in oil and gas industry for decades; it is a technique used to get gas and oil from shale rock. The process of fracking is injecting the mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the rock at a high pressure to release gas (BBC, 2013). Fracking technology experiences long time of development. In 1947, Stanolind Oil conducted the first experimental fracturing to stimulate natural gas; in 1949 Halliburton conducted the first commercial fracturing to extract natural gas (Montgomery and Smith, 2010). Until 2003 fracking was used widely, energy companies actively expand natural gas exploration in Texas and Pennsylvania (Eecworld, 2010). fracking played an important role in America's natural gas resources for many years and countries such as Canada, England and China are actively pursuing implementation of fracking. Nationally, fracking can boost energy industry and promote economic grow in countries. However, like any advanced technology, it can also raise environmental concerns, cause water and air pollution. Therefore, whether the advantages of fracking worth the disadvantages? Yes, it worth. fracking is good, so it should be used on a massive scale to contribute to the increasing demands of energy. There are three economy...
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...Hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, is a type drilling used for recovering natural gas from underground reserves. Fracking is used worldwide to extract natural gas. Fracking has been becoming huge way to drill in the United States. It is to be said that Fracking is lower cost than open pit mining. The mining companies portray it to be a cleaner method than other ways to recover other sources of energy.these energy sources meet the U.S energy requirements. These could also potentially power most of the U.S for decades. Protesters say that these big mining companies are hiding the real effects of fracking. There are a lot of pollutants that are used in Fracking. When companies say that all has been extracted,people end up with contaminated water. A long list of effects includes air pollution, groundwater contamination, health problems and surface water pollution....
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...Environmental studies Name: Institution: Date: Development of the drinking water standards for arsenic since the year 2000 Exposure to Arsenic has become a considerable global environmental health concern as contact through contaminated drinking water leads to cases of several medical conditions and ailments as well as human reproduction and development effects. The source of arsenic in drinking water consists of natural supplies such as rocks, soil and from human activities for instance in preservatives, paints, and agricultural activities. There are increased levels of arsenic in the ground water sources as compared to surface water and this makes people who rely on ground water to be vulnerable to water that is contaminated. In the U.S. the mean arsenic levels from the measurements taken from ground water samples is usually estimated at one part per every billion litres of water although in some regions high levels of arsenic concentration in ground water is recorded. There have been several amendments and developments with regards to drinking water standards and contamination from arsenic. The Environmental Protection Agency in the year 2001 enacted a law regarding to the arsenic contamination of drinking water in accordance to the 1995 Safe Drinking Water Act and it set a threshold for arsenic contamination in drinking water at 10 ppb as a replacement for the initial threshold of 50 ppb that was settled on in 1975 (Thomas & Copeland, 2008). The regulation...
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...Demand for fossil fuels in America has led to a flurry of unorthodox methods for the extraction of natural gas. Fracking or hydrofracking in the U.S.A has proven to be an efficient way of extracting natural gas from permeable rock. A new large scale hydrofracking operation has been proposed in the eastern states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. This method of extraction is highly controversial, and is thought to have severe environmental and potential health consequences. This essay will provide further insight into the practice of Fracking in an area of shale known as Marcellus shale, and help to expose the environmental and human implications. What is Hydrofracking? Hydraulic Fracturing is an un-conventional process used in the extraction of gas in permeable rock (David 1973). A horizontal well is drilled into permeable rock such as shale and is injected with millions of gallons a high pressure fluid known as frac-fluid, this fluid is a mixture of sand, water, and an array of lubricating chemicals (Deutch 2011). The high pressure frac-fluid forces open fishers (cracks) within the rock which are kept open with sand granules; this allows pockets of gas to flow more easily from the shale (David 1973). Once the well is depleted all fluid that can be recycled is extracted, and the well is capped to stop any unused gas escaping (David 1973). The process of fracking is expensive and requires a lot of resources including millions of gallons of water that is sourced from local reservoirs...
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...Introduction Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The rock layers are fractured when chemical-laced water and sand are blasted underground to break apart rock and release natural gas. The chemical based water is known as fracking fluid. The fracking fluid injected into the rock is typically a slurry of water, proppants, and chemical additives. Additionally, gels, foams, and compressed gases, including nitrogen, carbon dioxide and air can be injected. Various types of proppant include silica sand, resin-coated sand, and man-made ceramics. These vary depending on the type of permeability or grain strength needed. Sand containing naturally radioactive minerals is sometimes used so that the fracture trace along the wellbore can be measured. Chemical additives are applied to tailor the injected material to the specific geological situation, protect the well, and improve its operation, though the injected fluid is approximately 98-99.5% percent water. (Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States: A Primer, 2009) For each frack, 1-8 million gallons of water and 80 – 300 tons of chemicals may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times. (Fox, 2010) Figure 1: Hydraulic Fracturing (Albertan, 2011) History Hydraulic fracking of oil and gas wells was first used in the United States in 1947...
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...What is more important, the cost of oil and gas, or the health of the human race? Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking” remains a relatively uncommon drilling technology. There was only one in fourteen wells drilled in the United States and Canada horizontally in 2002 (Gold). In 2012, six of every ten wells were horizontal. It is a process in which sand, water, and chemicals are used to blast open shale rock to release the gases that are trapped inside. After the vertical depth of the well is achieved, the drilling continues horizontally. Unfortunately, fracking is proven to cause environmental and health problems in humans and animals. It is also a risk to nearby plant life. The risks of fracking do not out way...
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