Shale Gas: Environmental and Radiological Aspects

Radiological effects on population and environment due to fracking unconventional hydrocarbons is given in this study. Evaluation on environmental effects concerning extraction process is given. Effects on fauna and humans during fracking process, including on air, water and soil, are mentioned. Unconventional oil and gas extraction generates Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM); their associations to radiological aspects are comment. Our environmental radiological baseline studies at three prospecting fracking zones in Mexico showed no radiological hazard to population. The natural gamma radioactivity before fracking had a maximum equivalent dose rate of 1.83 mSv a−1, in the low value of the acceptable background interval (1–13) mSv a−1 stated by UNSCEAR. The 226Ra and 228Ra maximum concentration obtained in soil (59.2 ± 3.6 and 38.5 ± 5.0 Bq kg−1, respectively) for this baseline are both in the average global-interval concentration reported by UNSCEAR; gross alpha and gross beta in water were all below the suggested limits by the World Health Organization of 0.5 and 1.0 Bq L−1, respectively, for drinking water. An important conclusion is that water stress is an important issue before considering fracking activities in Mexico.