Against hydraulic fracturingOil and natural gas are crucial for the 21st century. They are used for fuel, tires, appliances and even heart valves. Without oil and natural gas, the modern way of life would be almost entirely different. However, the cost of obtaining these products using a process called hydraulic fracturing can prove fatal. Hydraulic fracturing is the method by which oil and natural gas are extracted from shale rocks located deep in the Earth's crust. Water pollution, air pollution, and climate change are three of the biggest downsides to this extraction procedure. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a dangerous operation that negatively affects human and environmental health. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the Original Essay Hydraulic fracturing begins by drilling 7,000 to 12,000 feet into the ground. During this stage, toxic gases and respirable crystalline silica are released into the air. Crystalline silica is respirable, meaning it can easily be inhaled and absorbed by the human body. A hazard warning issued by OSHA in 2012 warns: “Crystalline silica, in sand form, can cause silicosis when inhaled by workers. » Silicosis is an incurable lung disease. Some of the symptoms of silicosis include fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, coughing, respiratory failure, and in some cases, death. Despite preventive measures such as masks and protective uniforms, workers at fracking sites are commonly exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene are just a few of the deadly chemicals released into the air. A study looking at the situation where workers are exposed to crystalline silica: if they are on a drilling site, it is impossible to avoid breathing the chemicals. The next step is to inject millions of gallons of a toxic water-sand-chemical mixture. into the ground at very high pressure in order to break up the shale rock. The water is then stored in pits dug in the ground, without lining. Sometimes it escapes from the pit, contaminating the clean water in the area. In December 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency “concluded for the first time that the process of hydraulic fracturing may contaminate drinking water.” This creates a dangerous and potentially deadly situation for humans and wildlife in the area. This not only affects aboveground reservoirs, ponds and lakes, but also groundwater. A study in Colorado found that “77 fracking wastewater spills impacted groundwater supplies, 90 percent of which were contaminated with dangerous levels of benzene, a chemical linked to cancer.” There are organizations specializing in cleaning up contaminated sites throughout the United States, but the compounds in fracking fluid differ from site to site and are generally not analyzed in commercial laboratories. Scientific American found that as a result, "conducting a groundwater investigation related to hydraulic fracturing is extremely complicated." The inability to analyze these compounds makes it difficult for doctors to treat patients who have drunk contaminated water. Although hydraulic fracturing has been proven to cause many health problems, the method used for fracturing..