FRACKING PROCESS EXPLAINED

Donald Hank Writes: 

DEMYSTIFYING FRACKING

Fracking is seen by economists as an answer to our energy problem. It is a process that can be used to extract fuel from rock that was once impossible to extract economically. If America succeeds in harnessing the process it could become energy independent for years to come.

But the left has been telling us this chemical process is unsafe.

And the right, while defending fracking, does a lousy job of making the science and toxicology understandable to you the public. Same applies to the left.

I have spent over 40 years translating mostly food patents and food science articles and was struck by the fact that many of the supposedly scary chemicals are used in food manufacture and the left has never had a problem with that as far as I know.

So here is what I have found so far.

Wiki article on fracking chemicals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

What percentage of the fracking fluid is chemicals?

Typically, of the fracturing fluid 90% is water and 9.5% is sand with the chemicals accounting to about 0.5%.

Chemicals used:

The fracturing fluid varies in composition depending on the type of fracturing used, the conditions of the specific well being fractured, and the water characteristics. A typical fracture treatment uses between 3 and 12 additive chemicals.^[34] Although there may be unconventional fracturing fluids, the typical used chemical additives are:

• Acids—hydrochloric acid (usually 28%-5%), or acetic acid is used in the pre-fracturing stage for cleaning the perforations and initiating fissure in the near-wellbore rock. [Acetic acid is used in foods. It is made from vinegar. Hydrochloric acid is stomach acid and also is the main component of Chlorox, which is often used to sterilize dishes and silverware--Don].
  
• Sodium chloride (salt)—delays breakdown of the gel polymer chains [Table salt. Any questions?--Don].
• Polyacrylamide and other friction reducers—minimizes the friction between fluid and pipe, thus allowing the pumps to pump at a higher rate without having greater pressure on the surface.^[44] Polyacrylamide are good suspension agents ensuring the proppant does not fall out. [Some say that the harmless chemical polyacrylamide could possibly degrade into acrylamide under certain conditions. However, it has been widely used for years in water treatment and studies aimed at showing its toxicity are not conclusive. The amounts used in fracking are extremely small--Don]
• Ethylene glycol—prevents formation of the scale deposits in the pipe. [This is a toxic chemical but the effective dose level is 200 mg per kg of body weight, more than would be used in fracking, and considering that the main concern is ground water pollution, it can be assumed that even the very low dose injected into the ground would be diluted many more times when the fracking liquid contacts ground water--Don Hank. It should be possible to replace ethylene glycol with another, less toxic chemical--Don].
• Borate salts—used for maintaining fluid viscosity during the temperature increase [Boron is an essential mineral that the body needs for bone building, immune function, and brain function. Plants need it to grow. But, like anything, it’s needed in small moderation. Much like salt...http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not]
• Sodium and potassium carbonates—used for maintaining effectiveness of crosslinkers [These are food additives. If you eat, you have had them--Don].
• Glutaraldehyde—used as disinfectant of the water (bacteria elimination) [Ok? Don].^[44]
• Guar gum and other water-soluble gelling agents—increases viscosity of the fracturing fluid to deliver more efficiently the proppant into the formation. [Used in foods and chewing gum--Don]^[44][41]
• Citric acid—used for corrosion prevention. [Citrus fruits are full of this--Don]
• Isopropanol—increases the viscosity of the fracture fluid [Isopropyl alcohol dissolves a wide range of non-polarcompounds. It also evaporates quickly and is relatively non-toxic, compared to alternative solvents. Thus it is used widely as a solvent and as a cleaning fluid, especially for dissolving oils. My best judgment: Since isopropyl alcohol is used in alcohol intended for topical application in open wounds, it is understood by the FDA that residual amounts will enter the bloodstream and will be harmless.  I believe that the tiny amounts used in fracking will not have a tangible toxic effect on ground water--Don]

So you have one chemical --ethylene glycol--that could be a possible cause of concern, but again, at these low levels, it does not seem to be likely anyone would be adversely affected. If that is a concern, then efforts should be focused on replacing this chemical with a less toxic one--Don Hank