Clean Technica | By: James Ayre | July 27, 2017:

The release of “treated” wastewater from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations in Pennsylvania has led to regional watersheds being contaminated with radioactive materials, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and heavy metals, according to a new study from researchers at Penn State, Colorado State, and Dartmouth.

To be more specific, the analysis of sediments and porewaters from a lake downstream from two facilities that treat fracking wastewater in Pennsylvania led to the detection of highly elevated levels of radium, alkaline earth metals, salts, and organic chemicals — all of which reach peak concentrations in the same sediment layer. This sediment layer of peak concentrations correlates with a local peak of fracking wastewater disposal between 5 and 10 years ago.

Here’s more, from the press release:

“The researchers sampled sediments and porewaters from a lake downstream from two facilities that treat fracking wastewater in Pennsylvania.

Their analysis detected that peak concentrations of radium, alkaline earth metals, salts and organic chemicals all occurred in the same sediment layer.

The two major classes of organic contaminants included nonylphenol ethoxylates, which are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens.

The highest concentrations coincided with sediment layers deposited 5 to 10 years ago during a peak period of fracking wastewater disposal.”

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