Wisconsin Ag Connection - UW-Eau Claire Project Studies Frac Sand Impact on Air Quality

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UW-Eau Claire Project Studies Frac Sand Impact on Air Quality
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/31/2014

A team of students and their professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will soon present the findings of their research on how the frac sand industry is affecting air quality. The group visited mines and processing plants in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where they analyzed the fine dust particulates near those sites to determine if they exceed federal EPA levels.

The study showed particulate levels between five to fifty micrograms per cubic meter around frac sand facilities, reports WQOW-TV. The EPA says levels at or below twelve micrograms per cubic meter are likely to protect the public from silica exposure risks.

The school was able to conduct the research with the help of a $65,000 donation which was used to purchase air monitoring devices.

More results from the study are expected to be published in next month's edition of the Journal for Environmental Health.

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