151. Environmental screening of water associated with shale gas extraction by fluorescence excitation emission matrix
- Author
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Camille Peers de Nieuwburgh, Jonathan S. Watson, Dominik J. Weiss, and Mark A. Sephton
- Subjects
Technology ,HUMIC ACIDS ,Environmental Engineering ,Science & Technology ,SPECTROSCOPY ,IMPACT ,Engineering, Environmental ,CHROMATOGRAPHY ,Environmental Sciences & Ecology ,HORIZON OIL ,PARAFAC ,0905 Civil Engineering ,0907 Environmental Engineering ,Engineering ,WASTE-WATER ,Physical Sciences ,0399 Other Chemical Sciences ,Water Resources ,DISSOLVED ORGANIC-MATTER ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,HYDRAULIC FRACTURING FLUIDS ,MARINE ,Environmental Sciences ,Water Science and Technology - Abstract
The shale revolution has involved the production of oil and gas from shale reservoirs enabled by modern techniques such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Large volumes of water-based fluids are required for hydraulic fracturing, some of which return to the surface as produced water. The recycling and effective disposal of produced water reduces water demand and avoids environmental impacts, respectively. Yet risks of water quality degradation surrounding shale oil and gas extraction operations remain highest during produced water treatment and disposal. Risk assessments related to produced water use are difficult to generate due to a lack of standard monitoring methods to characterise produced water and a lack of baseline monitoring data of surrounding water resources. We have performed a study on laboratory shale leachates using fluorescence Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) spectra and have demonstrated the utility of this spectroscopic technique as a standard method for environmental screening in which the chemical constitution of produced water is monitored. EEM spectra recorded in this work show that dissolved organic matter (DOM) in laboratory shale leachates contains chromophores such as humic acid-like and soluble microbial-like material. Short emission wavelengths (
- Published
- 2022