Fracking water ‘alters mice cells’

Mouse cells exposed to fracking chemicals and wastewater in a laboratory increased in size and number‚ US scientists said yesterday.

“We saw significant fat cell proliferation and lipid accumulation‚ even when wastewater samples were diluted 1 000fold from their raw state and when wastewater-affected surface water samples were diluted 25-fold‚” Chris Kassotis‚ of Duke University in North Carolina in the US, said.

Previous studies by Kassotis and his colleagues have shown that rodents exposed during gestation to a mix of 23 fracking chemicals were more likely to experience metabolic‚ reproductive and developmental health problems‚ including increased weight gain.

Publishing his findings in the journal Science of the Total Environment‚ Kassotis said further research was needed to assess whether similar effects occurred in humans or animals outside the laboratory.

More than 1 000 chemicals are used in the US for hydraulic fracturing‚ a method of extracting gas and oil from rock that is also proposed for the Karoo.

Kassotis and colleagues collected samples of fracking wastewater and waste water contaminated surface water in Colorado and West Virginia.

Mouse cells were exposed to the fluids at varying concentrations or dilutions‚ and researchers measured fat cell development.

We saw significant fat cell proliferation and lipid accumulation