SBIR Phase II: The Use of Halophytic Plants and Fish for the Bioremediation of Coal Bed Methane Discharge Waters

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在开发一种利用盐生植物和水产养殖废水处理高盐度煤层气(CBM)排放水的工艺。大量的水是天然气钻井过程中必不可少的副产品，但却是不必要的副产品。人们普遍认为，食盐排放是一种环境负担。向溪流排放基本上是被禁止的，而不加区别的地表排放会导致土壤盐碱化。之前的第一阶段工作表明，如果用煤层气排放的水灌溉，盐生植物可能会成功地隔离大量的钠。该第二阶段项目将通过用煤层气水和鱼类废水灌溉的植物的田间试验来确认第一阶段的温室数据，并与其他正常耕作做法下的对照进行比较。土壤影响和耕作也将进行非常详细的检查。该项目的商业应用将是为了缓解煤层气排放对怀俄明州环境的负面影响，并为负责任的煤层气勘探和开采开辟大片土地。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a process that uses halophytic plants and aquaculture effluent to treat highly saline coal bed methane (CBM) discharge water. Vast volumes of water are a necessary though unwanted byproduct of the gas drilling process. The saline discharge is widely viewed as an environmental liability. Discharges into streams are essentially forbidden, while indiscriminant surface discharge causes soil salination. Prior Phase I work has shown that halophytic plants may be successful in sequestering significant amounts of sodium when irrigated with CBM discharge waters. This Phase II project will confirm Phase I greenhouse data with field trials of plants irrigated with CBM water and fish effluent when compared with controls under otherwise normal farming practices. Soil impacts and tilth will also be examined in great detail. The commercial application of this project will be to alleviate the negative impact of CBM discharges on the environment in Wyoming, and to open up huge areas of land for responsible CBM exploration and recovery.