A recent study published in the “Analytical Chemistry” journal suggests surfactant chemicals found in fracking fluid samples were no more toxic than substances in household items.
Thurman and his research team tested samples from Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Texas. The surfactants they analyzed make up a portion of the chemicals many oil and gas companies add to fracking fluids, which can also include anti-bacterial agents and corrosion inhibitors. Surfactants reduce the surface tension between water and oil, allowing more oil to be extracted from fractured shale underground.