Fracking is linked to increased rates of sexually transmitted infections in Ohio, according to research published in PLoS ONE by academics at the Yale School of Public Health.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, uses pressurized liquid to penetrate deep into rock and extract natural gas.
The practice is controversial, and often met with opposition by residents in communities with planned fracking projects. In May 2018, residents in Colorado protested a proposed project near a school in Weld County. They expressed worries about safety and the environment. Research points to a number of concerns, including contaminated groundwater, potential health risks from silicosis to congenital heart defects and a number of environmental effects, such as air pollution and surface spills. There are also broader external costs, like damage to local roads from the heavy trucks involved.
