Endocrine disrupting activity of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing for natural gas and oil Susan C. Nagel, PhD, Associate Professor Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women s Health University of Missouri
Hormones are chemical messages essential to normal health and development
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) A chemical, or mixture of chemicals, that interferes with any aspect of hormone action. The Endocrine Society Statement on endocrine disrupting chemicals. Endocrinology 2012
Hormones work through receptors
The Hydraulic Fracturing Process with Horizontal Drilling Feet 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Fracturing Fluid Composition Source: FracFocus data August 2012
Millions of gallons of wastewater Flowback returns immediately to surface Produced water returns over the life of the well and contains fracking chemicals, liberated salts and radioisotopes from deep underground Direct disposal into surface water Wastewater spills and leaks Well casing failures Underground migration
We previously found elevated EDC activity in surface and ground water at fracking spill sites Kassotis CD, et al Endocrinology. 2014;155(3):897-907.
Our hypothesis: Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing will disrupt hormone receptors Estrogen Androgen Glucocorticoid Progesterone Thyroid Cancer Metabolic Syndrome Immune Health Fertility Puberty Reproductive Tract Neurological Issues Behavior Bone
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol 2-ethylhexanol Acrylamide Benzene Bisphenol A Bronopol Cumene Diethanolamine Dimethyl formamide Ethoxylated nonylphenol Ethoxylated octylphenol Ethylbenzene Unknown Biocide, Surfactant Defoamer, Breaker Scale Control, Friction Reducer Unknown Unknown Biocide Paraffin Inhibitor Friction Reducer, Corrosion Inh. Corrosion Inhibitor Surfactant, Corrosion Inhibitor Surfactant, Corrosion Inhibitor
Ethylene glycol Ethylene glycol butyl ether Methyl-4-isothiazolin Naphthalene Phenol Propylene glycol Sodium tetraborate decahydrate Styrene Toluene Triethylene glycol Xylenes Crosslinker, Friction reducer Surfactant, Foamer Biocide Surfactant, Acid inhibitor Gellant, Breaker Crosslinker Proppant Biocide, Dehydration Non-emulsifier, Breaker
Nuclear Receptor Reporter Gene Assays
Hydraulic Fracturing and EDCs We tested 24 chemicals Five hormone receptors Measured receptor activation Measured receptor inhibition 23/24 chemicals disrupted 1 receptor
Only Three Chemicals activated hormone receptors Chemical Estrogen Androgen Progesterone Thyroid Glucocorticoid 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 2-(2-methoxyethoxyethanol) 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol Acrylamide Benzene Bisphenol A 100% Bronopol Cumene Diethanolamine 20% Dimethylformamide Ethoxylated nonylphenol Ethoxylated octylphenol Ethylbenzene Ethylene glycol Ethylene glycol butyl ether Methyl-4-isothiazolin 40% 20% Naphthalene Phenol
% Inhibition of Receptor Activity 100% Estrogen Receptor Inhibition 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
% Inhibition of Receptor Activity 100% Androgen Receptor Inhibition 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
% Inhibition of Receptor Activity 100% Progesterone Receptor Inhibition 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
% Inhibition of Receptor Activity 100% 90% Thyroid Receptor Inhibition 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
% Inhibition of Receptor Activity 100% Glucocorticoid Receptor Inhibition 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
EDC Activity of 24 Fracking Chemicals Receptor Agonist Antagonist Estrogen 1 21 Androgen 0 21 Progesterone 1 12 Glucocorticoid 0 10 Thyroid 2 7
Why is endocrine disruption important to human health and disease? Hormones and EDCs work at very low levels 1 part per billion = 1 drop in olympic swimming pool
Fetal and early life exposure to EDCs is associated with adult disease Pollutants Nutrition Maternal Health and Disease Breast Cancer Bone Health Endometriosis Infertility Obesity Reduced Sperm Heart Disease Diabetes Hypertension Testicular Cancer
Take Home Messages 1. Hormones and EDCs work at low concentrations 2. EDCs are associated with disease in people 3. Of 24 fracking chemicals, 23 are EDCs 4. All five hormone receptors tested could be disrupted by fracking chemicals 5. Millions of gallons of fracking wastewater with dozens of EDCs are produced per well
Research Team Kassotis Tillit Nagel Vengosh Davis Lin Funding: The Passport Foundation, University of Missouri, EPA STAR Fellowship to Kassotis