Impacts of shale gas wastewater disposal on water quality in Western Pennsylvania

Nathaniel R. Warner, Cidney A. Christie, Robert B. Jackson, Avner Vengosh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

450 Scopus citations

Abstract

The safe disposal of liquid wastes associated with oil and gas production in the United States is a major challenge given their large volumes and typically high levels of contaminants. In Pennsylvania, oil and gas wastewater is sometimes treated at brine treatment facilities and discharged to local streams. This study examined the water quality and isotopic compositions of discharged effluents, surface waters, and stream sediments associated with a treatment facility site in western Pennsylvania. The elevated levels of chloride and bromide, combined with the strontium, radium, oxygen, and hydrogen isotopic compositions of the effluents reflect the composition of Marcellus Shale produced waters. The discharge of the effluent from the treatment facility increased downstream concentrations of chloride and bromide above background levels. Barium and radium were substantially (>90%) reduced in the treated effluents compared to concentrations in Marcellus Shale produced waters. Nonetheless, 226Ra levels in stream sediments (544-8759 Bq/kg) at the point of discharge were ∼200 times greater than upstream and background sediments (22-44 Bq/kg) and above radioactive waste disposal threshold regulations, posing potential environmental risks of radium bioaccumulation in localized areas of shale gas wastewater disposal.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11849-11857
Number of pages9
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume47
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Oct 2013
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impacts of shale gas wastewater disposal on water quality in Western Pennsylvania'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this