Fracking Chemicals Linked to Birth Defects, Infertilityselfnews Post More than 700 chemicals are used in the fracking process, and many of them disturb hormone function, said one of the studys authors, Susan C. Nagel, PhD, of the University of Missouri School of Medicine. With fracking on the rise, populations may face greater health risks from increased endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure. The water samples from drilling sites had higher levels of EDC activity that could interfere with the bodys response to androgens, a class of hormones that includes testosterone, as well as the reproductive hormone estrogen. Drilling site water samples had moderate to high levels of EDC activity, and samples from the Colorado River the drainage basin for the natural gas drilling sites had moderate levels. In comparison, little activity was measured in the water samples from the sites with little drilling. Fracking is exempt from federal regulations to protect water quality, but spills associated with natural gas drilling can contaminate surface, ground and drinking water, Nagel said. We found more endocrine-disrupting activity in the water close to drilling locations that had experienced spills than at control sites. This could raise the risk of reproductive, metabolic, neurological and other diseases, especially in children who are exposed to EDCs. The study, Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Activities of Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals and Surface and Ground Water in a Drilling-Dense Region, was published online, ahead of print. 