Fracking and radionuclides
Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a
Naturally occurring radionuclides
There are naturally occurring radioactive material (e.g.,
Injected radionuclides
Injection of radioactive tracers, along with the other substances in hydraulic-fracturing fluid, is often used to determine the injection profile and location of fractures created by hydraulic fracturing.
Other gamma-emitting tracer
Environmental impact
Concerns have been expressed that both naturally occurring radionuclides and radioactive tracers may return to the surface with flowback and during blow outs.[17][18] Wastewater from the wells is released into rivers, injected into wells, and evaporated from ponds.[4] The Times reported that studies by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and a confidential study by the drilling industry concluded that radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.[19] Recycling the wastewater has been proposed as a solution but has its limitations.[20] The New York Times has reported on radium and gross alpha radiation levels in wastewater (also called flowback) from natural gas wells. It collected data from more than 200 natural gas wells in Pennsylvania. The New York Times has compiled a map of these wells and their wastewater contamination levels.[4][6][21]
Political, governmental, and industry pressures have prevented the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from studying risks associated with radionuclides[22] or other chemicals in hydraulic fracturing fluids in wastewater,[23] source water, and drinking water.[22][24][25][26][27] The scope of the EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Draft Study Plan was narrowed to exclude them.[22][26][28]
Health impact
As radon decays, it produces radioactive decay products. If the contaminated dust of these "radon daughters" are inhaled, they can lodge in the lungs and increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Regulation
The US
References
- ISBN 978-2-7108-0584-7. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- ^ a b Reis, John C. (1976). Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering. Gulf Professional Publishers.
- ^ "Iodine 131 Found in Philadelphia's Drinking Water" (Press release). Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
In response to these results, PWD is working with the EPA and DEP and taking the following actions: Developing a Joint PADEP, EPA, PWD Action Plan for all Radionuclides; Initiating a focused sampling program for Iodine; Developing an aggressive track down program with EPA and DEP to identify the potential sources of Iodine 131 in our source waters.
- ^ a b c d e f Urbina, Ian (26 February 2011). "Regulation Lax as Gas Wells' Tainted Water Hits Rivers". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
The level of radioactivity in the wastewater has sometimes been hundreds or even thousands of times the maximum allowed by the federal standard for drinking water.
- ^ a b Linda Marsa (1 August 2011). "Fracking Nation. Environmental concerns over a controversial mining method could put America's largest reservoirs of clean-burning natural gas beyond reach. Is there a better way to drill?". Environment / Pollution. Discover Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d White, Jeremy; Park, Haeyoun; Urbina, Ian; Palmer, Griff (26 February 2011). "Toxic Contamination From Natural Gas Wells". The New York Times.
- ^ Nobel, Justin (2021-01-21). "America's Radioactive Secret". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
- ^ "Chart Nuclides by the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC)". Archived from the original on 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^
- Deziel, Nicole C. (2021). "Invited Perspective: Oil and Gas Development and Adverse Birth Outcomes: What More Do We Need to Know?". S2CID 236156369.
- This review cites this research.
- Li, Longxiang; Blomberg, Annelise J.; Spengler, John D.; Coull, Brent A.; Schwartz, Joel D.; Koutrakis, Petros (2020). "Unconventional oil and gas development and ambient particle radioactivity". S2CID 222353253.
- Deziel, Nicole C. (2021). "Invited Perspective: Oil and Gas Development and Adverse Birth Outcomes: What More Do We Need to Know?".
- ^ a b c d http://ip.com/patent/US5635712 Scott III, George L. (03-June-1997) US Patent No. 5635712: Method for monitoring the hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation. US Patent Publications.
- ^ a b c http://ip.com/patent/US5441110 Scott III, George L. (15-Aug-1995) US Patent No. US5441110: System and method for monitoring fracture growth during hydraulic fracture treatment. US Patent Publications.
- ^ a b https://archive.today/20121209065049/http://ip.com/patent/ep0340956a1 Gadeken, Larry L., Halliburton Company (08-Nov-1989). Radioactive well logging method.
- ^ a b c d e f Jack E. Whitten; Steven R. Courtemanche; Andrea R. Jones; Richard E. Penrod; David B. Fogl (June 2000). "Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses: Program-Specific Guidance About Well Logging, Tracer, and Field Flood Study Licenses". US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NUREG-1556, Volume 14. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
labeled Frac Sand ... Sc-46, Br-82, Ag-110m, Sb-124, Ir-192
- ^ Radiation Protection and the Management of Radioactive Waste in the Oil and Gas Industry (PDF) (Report). International Atomic Energy Agency. 2003. pp. 39–40. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
Beta emitters including H-3 and C-14 may be used when it is feasible to use sampling techniques to detect the presence of the radiotracer or when changes in activity concentration can be used as indicators of the properties of interest in the system. Gamma emitters, such as Sc-46, La-140, Mn-56, Na-24, Sb-124, Ir-192, Tc-m, I-131, Ag-m, Ar-41, and Xe-133 are used extensively because of the ease with which they can be identified and measured ... In order to aid the detection of any spillage of solutions of the 'soft' beta emitters, they are sometimes spiked with a short half-life gamma emitter such as Br-82...
- ^ a b http://ip.com/patent/US4415805 Fertl; Walter H. (15-Nov-1983) US Patent No. US4415805: Method and apparatus for evaluating multiple stage fracturing or earth formations surrounding a borehole. US Patent Publications.
- ^ "Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses: Program-Specific Guidance About Well Logging, Tracer".
- ^ a b Dina Murphy; Larry Huskins (8 September 2006). "Re: August 23, 2006, Accidental Release from J-67 Well on Well Pad C-67/J-67/G-67" (PDF). Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis (Letter).
- ^ a b ICF Incorporated, LLC (8 September 2006). "Technical Assistance for the Draft Supplemental Generic EIS: Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program Well Permit Issuance for Horizontal Drilling and High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing to Develop the Marcellus Shale and Other Low Permeability Gas Reservoirs" (PDF). New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
Radioactive tracers can be detected with wireline gamma-logging equipment in the wellbore, but their use poses additional environmental and safety concerns.
[dead link] - ^ "Documents: Natural Gas's Toxic Waste". The New York Times. February 26, 2011.
- ^ Ian Urbina (1 March 2011). "Drilling Down: Wastewater Recycling No Cure-All in Gas Process". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ Staff (26 February 2011). "Drilling Down: Documents: Natural Gas's Toxic Waste". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ a b c DiCosmo, Bridget (15 May 2012). "SAB Pushes To Advise EPA To Conduct Toxicity Tests In Fracking Study". InsideEPA. US Environmental Protection Agency. (subscription required). Retrieved 2012-05-19.
But some members of the chartered SAB are suggesting that the fracking panel revise its recommendation that the agency scale back its planned toxicity testing of chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, process, because of the limited resources and time frame ... Chesapeake Energy supported the draft recommendation, saying that "an in-depth study of toxicity, the development of new analytical methods and tracers are not practical given the budget and schedule limitation of the study."
- ^ Satterfield, John (30 June 2011). "Letter from Chesapeake Energy to EPA" (PDF). InsideEPA. US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
Flowback and Produced water ... Chesapeake agrees that an indepth study of toxicity, the development of new analytic methods and tracers are not practical given the budget and schedule limitations of the study ... Wastewater Treatment and Waste Disposal ... Chesapeake believes there was unjustified emphasis on the surface disposal of produced water to treatment plants in the SAB's Review ... Chesapeake disagrees with the inclusion of water distribution network corrosion and burden of analyzing for contaminants by POTW's into the study.
- ^ "The Debate Over the Hydrofracking Study's Scope". The New York Times. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
While environmentalists have aggressively lobbied the agency to broaden the scope of the study, industry has lobbied the agency to narrow this focus
- ^ "Documents: Natural Gas's Toxic Waste". The New York Times. February 26, 2011.
- ^ a b Urbina, Ian (3 March 2011). "Pressure Limits Efforts to Police Drilling for Gas". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
More than a quarter-century of efforts by some lawmakers and regulators to force the federal government to police the industry better have been thwarted, as E.P.A. studies have been repeatedly narrowed in scope and important findings have been removed
- ^ Jenny Hopkinson; Bridget DiCosmo (15 May 2012). "Academies' NRC Seeks Broad Review Of Currently Ignored Fracking Risks". InsideEPA. US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.shalegas.energy.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Public Health Fact Sheet on Radon - Health and Human Services". Mass.Gov. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
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- ^ Mayo clinic staff. "Radiation sickness". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ^ a b Staff. "Radiation protection health effects". US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ David Wethe (19 January 2012). "Like Fracking? You'll Love 'Super Fracking'". Businessweek. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ Mark Drajem (11 January 2012). "Fracking Political Support Unshaken by Doctors' Call for Ban". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ^ "Regulation Lax as Gas Wells' Tainted Water Hits Rivers". The New York Times. February 26, 2011.
- ^ Shawn M. Garvin (7 March 2011). "The Honorable Michael Krancer, Acting Secretary..." (PDF). United States Environmental Protection Agency (Letter). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-19. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ Ian Urbina (7 March 2011). "E.P.A. Steps Up Scrutiny of Pollution in Pennsylvania Rivers". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ Bauers, Sandy (21 July 2011). "Cancer patients' urine suspected in Wissahickon iodine-131 levels". The Philadelphia Inquirer, Carbon County Groundwater Guardians. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ FracFocus