The Use of Noble Gas Isotopes in Detecting Methane Contamination of Groundwater in Shale Gas Development Areas: An Overview of Technology and Methods

Overview

Journal Anal Sci

Publisher Springer

Specialty Chemistry

Date 2020 Mar 17

PMID 32173675

Authors

Chunhui Cao

Liwu Li

Li Du

Yuhui Wang

Jian He

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Groundwater contamination by stray gas (mainly methane) in areas of shale-gas development has captured publics, political and scientific attention. However, the sources and potential mechanisms of groundwater contamination are still debated. Noble gases can provide useful information on fluid migration for discerning the scale, conditions, and physical mechanisms. In this study, details about analytical technology and theoretical approach of noble gases in tracing groundwater contaminations are presented. In addition, applications of noble-gases isotopes for determining contamination sources and potential pathways are explored and reviewed. Recent developments are discussed and highlighted with focusing on new utilities of noble-gas isotope parameters in evaluating groundwater contamination. Some usages of indicators (He/Ne, CH/Ar, He/CH, etc.) are discussed through specific research articles. And it is a new trend to make comprehensive use of multiple geochemical parameters to determine the occurrence, source, and process of methane pollution in groundwater.

References

Shaffer D, Arias Chavez L, Ben-Sasson M, Romero-Vargas Castrillon S, Yip N, Elimelech M . Desalination and reuse of high-salinity shale gas produced water: drivers, technologies, and future directions. Environ Sci Technol. 2013; 47(17):9569-83. DOI: 10.1021/es401966e. View

Clark C, Horner R, Harto C . Life cycle water consumption for shale gas and conventional natural gas. Environ Sci Technol. 2013; 47(20):11829-36. DOI: 10.1021/es4013855. View

Adgate J, Goldstein B, McKenzie L . Potential public health hazards, exposures and health effects from unconventional natural gas development. Environ Sci Technol. 2014; 48(15):8307-20. DOI: 10.1021/es404621d. View

Chapman E, Capo R, Stewart B, Kirby C, Hammack R, Schroeder K . Geochemical and strontium isotope characterization of produced waters from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction. Environ Sci Technol. 2012; 46(6):3545-53. DOI: 10.1021/es204005g. View

Osborn S, Vengosh A, Warner N, Jackson R . Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011; 108(20):8172-6. PMC: 3100993. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1100682108. View

Warner N, Jackson R, Darrah T, Osborn S, Down A, Zhao K . Geochemical evidence for possible natural migration of Marcellus Formation brine to shallow aquifers in Pennsylvania. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; 109(30):11961-6. PMC: 3409753. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1121181109. View

Shanafield M, Cook P, Simmons C . Towards Quantifying the Likelihood of Water Resource Impacts from Unconventional Gas Development. Ground Water. 2018; 57(4):547-561. DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12825. View

Lauer N, Harkness J, Vengosh A . Brine Spills Associated with Unconventional Oil Development in North Dakota. Environ Sci Technol. 2016; 50(10):5389-97. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b06349. View

Kargbo D, Wilhelm R, Campbell D . Natural gas plays in the Marcellus Shale: challenges and potential opportunities. Environ Sci Technol. 2010; 44(15):5679-84. DOI: 10.1021/es903811p. View

10.

Hill E, Ma L . Shale Gas Development and Drinking Water Quality. Am Econ Rev. 2018; 107(5):522-525. PMC: 5804812. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20171133. View

11.

Olmstead S, Muehlenbachs L, Shih J, Chu Z, Krupnick A . Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013; 110(13):4962-7. PMC: 3612605. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213871110. View

12.

Warner N, Christie C, Jackson R, Vengosh A . Impacts of shale gas wastewater disposal on water quality in western Pennsylvania. Environ Sci Technol. 2013; 47(20):11849-57. DOI: 10.1021/es402165b. View

13.

Wen T, Castro M, Nicot J, Hall C, Pinti D, Mickler P . Characterizing the Noble Gas Isotopic Composition of the Barnett Shale and Strawn Group and Constraining the Source of Stray Gas in the Trinity Aquifer, North-Central Texas. Environ Sci Technol. 2017; 51(11):6533-6541. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b06447. View

14.

Jackson R, Vengosh A, Darrah T, Warner N, Down A, Poreda R . Increased stray gas abundance in a subset of drinking water wells near Marcellus shale gas extraction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013; 110(28):11250-5. PMC: 3710833. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221635110. View

15.

Darrah T, Vengosh A, Jackson R, Warner N, Poreda R . Noble gases identify the mechanisms of fugitive gas contamination in drinking-water wells overlying the Marcellus and Barnett Shales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014; 111(39):14076-81. PMC: 4191804. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322107111. View

16.

Wen T, Castro M, Nicot J, Hall C, Larson T, Mickler P . Methane Sources and Migration Mechanisms in Shallow Groundwaters in Parker and Hood Counties, Texas-A Heavy Noble Gas Analysis. Environ Sci Technol. 2016; 50(21):12012-12021. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01494. View

17.

Li H, Carlson K . Distribution and origin of groundwater methane in the Wattenberg oil and gas field of northern Colorado. Environ Sci Technol. 2014; 48(3):1484-91. DOI: 10.1021/es404668b. View

18.

Darrah T, Jackson R, Vengosh A, Warner N, Poreda R . Noble gases: a new technique for fugitive gas investigation in groundwater. Ground Water. 2015; 53(1):23-8. View

19.

Llewellyn G, Dorman F, Westland J, Yoxtheimer D, Grieve P, Sowers T . Evaluating a groundwater supply contamination incident attributed to Marcellus Shale gas development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; 112(20):6325-30. PMC: 4443362. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420279112. View

20.

Molofsky L, Connor J, Wylie A, Wagner T, Farhat S . Evaluation of methane sources in groundwater in northeastern Pennsylvania. Ground Water. 2013; 51(3):333-49. PMC: 3746116. DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12056. View