A research study from Penn State University reports low levels of radium in shallow aquifers near fracking sites in southwestern Pennsylvania. However, the sample size is insufficient for comprehensive conclusions about the entire region. For more details, see the full report.
The researchers aimed to determine whether fracking raises radium levels in drinking water. Wastewater from oil and gas operations is known to be toxic, radioactive, and highly saline.
In 2024, the team sampled 91 private wells and springs in Washington County, a heavily fracked area. Only six samples showed groundwater mixed with brine, and all radium levels were below regulatory thresholds.
The study identified higher radium concentrations within three kilometers of oil and gas facilities. There was a weak correlation between radium activity and the density of oil and gas wells. Nathaniel Warner, a study co-author, noted the limited sample size within 1 kilometer complicates conclusions about contamination.
Increased groundwater salinity stems from fracking operations, road salting, and septic systems, Warner explained. Elevated salinity can corrode pipes, releasing metals like lead, nickel, and radium into water supplies.
With many Pennsylvanians depending on private wells, which undergo infrequent testing, environmentalists have long been concerned about contamination from oil and gas activities.
Critics allege the natural gas industry contaminates water near drilling sites. Wastewater involves chemicals and naturally occurring substances, including radioactive elements. More background on this issue can be found here.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged in 2025 that fracking could harm water supplies due to surface spills or leaks. An infamous case in Dimock, PA, involved tap water catching fire due to methane contamination, as documented in the 2010 film “Gasland.”
Environmentalists are concerned about potential aquifer contamination from spills and leaks near drilling sites.
Although the study does not definitively link fracking to increased radium levels, Warner emphasized the insufficiency of evidence. “We need more samples,” he stated.
Warner noted the presence of distinctive isotopic signatures typically linked to oil and gas contamination was not observed in these samples.
The natural gas industry maintains that fracking does not impact water quality, asserting that chemical use occurs far below water sources and produced water is recycled. Stephanie Catarino Wissman of the American Petroleum Institute of Pennsylvania stated that produced water can be managed safely.
Dan Bain of the University of Pittsburgh noted previous detections of elevated radium in produced water. Recent studies also found higher radium levels in wastewater, indicating the complexity of contamination in western Pennsylvania.
Bain remarked on the study’s cautious approach and the difficulty of attributing contamination to specific sources. For the Greene County incident involving contaminated water, he suggested water’s foul taste often deters consumption.
David Hess, former Pennsylvania environment secretary, argued the study’s limited scope makes it unlikely to link fracking to radium pollution as drilling occurs below aquifer levels. He noted the absence of pre-drilling baseline samples.
“This sampling serves only as a preliminary tool for detecting chemical fingerprints of potential incidents or spills,” he explained. For more about Pennsylvania environmental issues, see Hess’s newsletter.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org