Penn State study finds low radium near fracking sites but raises salinity concerns

Researchers testing shallow aquifers near Pennsylvania fracking operations detected low radium levels but identified insufficient sampling to draw regional conclusions, while flagging increased salinity as a potential concern.

First covered Sep 30, 2026 · 1:55 AM PT · 1 article

Penn State study finds low radium near fracking sites but raises salinity concerns — Image via insideclimatenews.org

Coverage

13h Inside Climate News Study of Groundwater Near Fracking Sites Finds Low Radium Levels, but Raises Concerns About Increased Salinity — Testing in a limited number of shallow aquifers near fracking sites in southwestern Pennsylvania found low levels of radium overall, but there aren’t yet…

Primary sources

epa.gov Questions and Answers about EPA's Hydraulic Fracturing Drinking Water Assessment | US EPA

More coverage from around the web

spotlightpa.org Fracking study finds low radium, raises salt concerns • Spotlight PA

eurekalert.org Natural gas drilling could raise salt levels, in turn boosting radium in water

technologynetworks.com Fracking May Influence Radium in Groundwater

phys.org Natural gas drilling could raise salt levels, in turn boosting radium in water

psu.edu Natural gas drilling could raise salt levels, in turn boosting radium in water

Appeared in: 2026-09-30 (#15)

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