Malignant human cell transformation of Marcellus Shale gas drilling flow back water

• Published in: Toxicology and applied pharmacology 2015-10, Vol.288 (1), p.121-130
• Main Authors: Yao, Yixin, Chen, Tingting, Shen, Steven S., Niu, Yingmei, DesMarais, Thomas L., Linn, Reka, Saunders, Eric, Fan, Zhihua, Lioy, Paul, Kluz, Thomas, Chen, Lung-Chi, Wu, Zhuangchun, Costa, Max
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; AGAR; ANIMAL CELLS; Animals; BARIUM; Bronchi - drug effects; Bronchi - metabolism; Bronchi - pathology; CARCINOGENS; Cell Line; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - chemically induced; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - genetics; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - metabolism; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - pathology; CELL TRANSFORMATIONS; COLONY FORMATION; CONCENTRATION RATIO; Cytotoxicity; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ELECTRON SCANNING; Epigenetics; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Epithelial Cells - pathology; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Humans; Hydraulic Fracking; HYDRAULIC FRACTURING; HYDRAULICS; Lung Neoplasms - chemically induced; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Marcellus Shale; MICE; Mice, Nude; MINING; Mutagenesis; NATURAL GAS; NATURAL GAS WELLS; Neoplasm Transplantation; NEOPLASMS; Oil and Gas Fields; PUBLIC HEALTH; Risk Assessment; SHALE GAS; SHALES; STRONTIUM; SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS; Time Factors; TOXICITY; Transcription, Genetic - drug effects; WASTE WATER; Waste Water - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY
• ISSN: 0041-008X; 1096-0333
• DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2015.07.011

The rapid development of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing for mining natural gas from shale has posed potential impacts on human health and biodiversity. The produced flow back waters after hydraulic stimulation are known to carry high levels of saline and total dissolved solids. To understand the toxicity and potential carcinogenic effects of these wastewaters, flow back waters from five Marcellus hydraulic fracturing oil and gas wells were analyzed. The physicochemical nature of these samples was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A cytotoxicity study using colony formation as the endpoint was carried out to define the LC50 values of test samples using human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). The BEAS-2B cell transformation assay was employed to assess the carcinogenic potential of the samples. Barium and strontium were among the most abundant metals in these samples and the same metals were found to be elevated in BEAS-2B cells after long-term treatment. BEAS-2B cells treated for 6weeks with flow back waters produced colony formation in soft agar that was concentration dependent. In addition, flow back water-transformed BEAS-2B cells show better migration capability when compared to control cells. This study provides information needed to assess the potential health impact of post-hydraulic fracturing flow back waters from Marcellus Shale natural gas mining. •This is the first report of potential cytotoxicity and transforming activity of Marcellus shale gas mining flow back to mammalian cells.•Barium and Strontium were elevated in flow back water exposed cells.•Flow back water malignantly transformed cells and formed tumor in athymic nude mice.•Flow back transformed cells exhibited altered transcriptome with dysregulated cell migration pathway and adherent junction pathway.