A new study links hydraulic fracking to an increased risk of heart attack, hospitalization, and death.
The Marcellus Formation straddles the New York State and Pennsylvania border, a region that shares similar geography and population demographics.
However, on one side of the state line unconventional natural gas development—or fracking—is banned, while on the other side it represents a multi-billion dollar industry.
Researchers took advantage of this “natural experiment” to examine the health effects of fracking and found that people who live in areas with a high concentration of wells are at higher risk for heart attacks.
“Fracking is associated with increased acute myocardial infarction hospitalization rates among middle-aged men, older men, and older women, as well as with increased heart attack-related mortality among middle-aged men,” says study senior author Elaine Hill, an associate professor in the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) public health sciences department.