Health professionals call for urgent halt to fracking because of public health concerns

A health professionals’ campaigning group has called for an immediate moratorium on fracking for shale gas in the United Kingdom until a comprehensive assessment of the effects on public health and the environment is completed.

The report from Medact described fracking as an “inherently risky” practice.1 It highlights numerous potential health hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing for shale gas, or “fracking,” including air pollution and water contamination; negative effects on health associated with noise, traffic, spoilage of the natural environment, and local and socioeconomic disruption; and the indirect effects of climate change as a …