There are several sources of water contamination from heavy metals that are unrelated to gas drilling.
Most of the radioactive strontium people encounter, for example, is aresult of nuclear weapons testing decades ago. Strontium was spread all over the world when nuclear weapons were tested in the atmosphere in
the 1950s and 1960s.Most people exposed to uranium in dangerous quantities live near government
weapons facilities or uranium mines. Dangerous lead exposure usually comes from lead pipes or paint dust
from old homes. Even though there are other major sources of these heavy metals, natural gas wastewater
poses a potential contamination risk. Improper disposal of wastewater or spills associated with gas drilling could expose local populations to increased levels of these metals, especially if this water makes it into local waterways without adequate treatment.