Penn State Study Finds Fracking Linked to Higher Radium in Some PA Wells

Pennsylvania ranks second in U.S. natural gas production, providing about one-fifth of U.S. output in 2024. A Penn State team examined whether fracking is raising radium levels in drinking water in Washington and Greene Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. According to a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the answer is not a simple yes or no.

The researchers collected drinking-water samples from 91 private wells and springs, tapping directly into homeowners' wells before any treatment system. They found elevated radium content was associated with some drilling operations, along with higher salt concentrations, though the upticks could also stem from other environmental factors. Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) drilling, or fracking, shoots pressurized water, sand and chemicals into rock to break it apart, drilling miles down and then out horizontally.

Radium is chemically similar to calcium, so the body treats it the same way, said Nathaniel Warner, associate professor of environmental engineering at Penn State. "Your body says, I need calcium for my bones, so I'm going to send some calcium there, along with some radium that I'm drinking," Warner said. "Over time, that radium will decay, releasing particles and energy that will damage your cells."

Earlier Penn State research had linked elevated salt "hotspots" to UOG operations in the Northern Appalachian Basin, from Alabama to upstate New York. Warner said these areas can carry up to 200% higher risk for radium-related health effects, since salty chemicals can knock radium off surrounding rocks into groundwater. The team sampled homes at roughly half a mile, just under 2 miles and just over 3 miles from drilling operations.

Of the 91 samples, 6 could potentially be linked to fracking wastewater, the researchers reported. Samples from within about 3 kilometers, or just under 2 miles, of operations were more likely to show elevated radium, though not enough for a broad correlation. Jennifer Baka, associate professor of geography at Penn State, said communities want to know what is in their drinking water and whether it is safe.