Researchers Find Arsenic Levels Higher Near Gas Wells

Biochemists from the University of Texas at Arlington who measured water wells across the Barnett Shale area of North Texas found increased levels of arsenic and other carcinogens within close range of active gas drilling sites, according to a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The researchers suggested that the higher levels could have been caused by fracking action knocking rust from old pipes into the water, although industry spokespeople disputed that claim. (The Associated Press)