Warner
Nathaniel R.
Search Results
Elevated levels of diesel range organic compounds in groundwater near Marcellus gas operations are derived from surface activities
Warner
Nathaniel R.
No Thumbnail Available
1 - 1 of 1
Preprint
Hundreds of organic chemicals are utilized during natural gas extraction via high volume
hydraulic fracturing (HVHF). However, it is unclear if these chemicals, injected into deep
shale horizons, reach shallow groundwater aquifers and impact local water quality, either
from deep underground injection sites or from the surface or shallow subsurface. Here,
we report detectable levels of organic compounds in shallow groundwater samples from
private residential wells overlying the Marcellus Shale in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Analyses of purgeable and extractable organic compounds from 64 groundwater samples
revealed trace levels of volatile organic compounds, well below the Environmental
Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant levels, and low levels of both gasoline range
(GRO; 0-8 ppb) and diesel range organic compounds (DRO; 0-157 ppb). A compound-specific analysis revealed the presence of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which is a disclosed
HVHF additive, that was notably absent in a representative geogenic water sample and
field blanks. Pairing these analyses with 1) inorganic chemical fingerprinting of deep
saline groundwater, 2) characteristic noble gas isotopes, and 3) spatial relationships
between active shale gas extraction wells and wells with disclosed environmental health
and safety (EHS) violations, we differentiate between a chemical signature associated
with naturally occurring saline groundwater and a one associated with alternative
anthropogenic routes from the surface (e.g., accidental spills or leaks). The data support a
transport mechanism of DRO to groundwater via accidental release of fracturing fluid
chemicals derived from the surface rather than subsurface flow of these fluids from the
underlying shale formation.