A fracking site.

Radon: Another Fracking Worry

By Alexander Gelfand

You can add increased radon levels to your list of concerns about hydraulic fracturing, according to new research by Brian Schwartz, MD, MS, and colleagues.

After analyzing indoor radon levels across Pennsylvania between 1989 and 2013, they found a significant increase beginning in 2005. That’s when companies got serious about fracking natural gas wells in the Marcellus Shale formation in the northeastern U.S. Higher radon levels were found in counties with more fracking activity.

“The possible cumulative impacts of thousands of wells must be further investigated,” says Schwartz.