A new study from researchers at Yale school of public health suggests that children who live near unconventional oil and gas (UOG) developments from birth are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with leukaemia. Even those living as far as two kilometres from a fracking site were found to be at higher risk.

Fracking involves extracting gas and oil by injecting water, sand and chemicals into shale rock at high pressures. Chemicals used in such developments have previously been linked to cancer, with the study finding that water from fracking wells can potentially contaminate drinking water supplies.