Shale gas is currently being explored in Europe\nas an alternative energy source to conventional oil and gas.\nThere is, however, increasing concern about the potential\nenvironmental impacts of shale gas extraction by hydraulic\nfracturing (fracking). In this study, we focussed on the\npotential impacts on regional water resources within the\nBaltic Basin in Poland, both in terms of quantity and\nquality. The future development of the shale play was\nmodeled for the time period 2015ââ?¬â??2030 using the LUISA\nmodeling framework. We formulated two scenarios which\ntook into account the large range in technology and resource\nrequirements, as well as two additional scenarios\nbased on the current legislation and the potential restrictions\nwhich could be put in place. According to these\nscenarios, between 0.03 and 0.86 % of the total water\nwithdrawals for all sectors could be attributed to shale gas\nexploitation within the study area. A screening-level\nassessment of the potential impact of the chemicals commonly\nused in fracking was carried out and showed that\ndue to their wide range of physicochemical properties,\nthese chemicals may pose additional pressure on freshwater\necosystems. The legislation put in place also influenced\nthe resulting environmental impacts of shale gas extraction.\nEspecially important are the protection of vulnerable\nground and surface water resources and the promotion of\nmore water-efficient technologies.
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