Geochemical Controls on Hazardous Element Mobilization in Shales and Precipitation in Wastewater Treatment

1438278 PetersGeochemical controls on hazardous element mobilization in shales and precipitation in wastewater treatment非常规天然气生产，即水力压裂或“水力压裂”，具有使美国能源积极的潜力。 然而，在水力压裂过程中，有可能产生大量的回流和生产废水。 回流水是由水力压裂过程本身产生的，其中一些水可能会返回到表面，并且被称为回流水。 还可能的是，已经在页岩地层中的水也可以返回到地面并且被称为采出水。在这两种情况下，人们担心的一个问题是，这些水可能污染地下水和地表沃茨中的一种或两种。该项目将研究这些沃茨的化学性质，以帮助其他人了解环境退化的可能性。此外，作为该项目的一部分，通过以能源和环境为中心的教育和宣传活动，另一个目标是激发和激发年轻人对当代相关问题背景下的科学和工程学的兴趣，并灌输对学术成就的信心。通过与普林斯顿大学PACE中心的合作，将为普林斯顿社区之家的中学生制定一项教育计划，该计划旨在缩小当地社区中少数民族的成就差距。该项目将开展课外活动，介绍能源生产和环境管理的主题。从科学的角度来看，该项目将更好地了解水力压裂和页岩气开采过程中回流和生产废水中有害元素移动的地球化学控制。该项目将产生关于页岩地层岩石中钡（Ba），铀（U）和镭（Ra）如何在矿物和有机相之间分布的第一类信息。这一信息是至关重要的地球化学模型的发展，预测有害元素的动员，由于矿物相的选择性溶解。所获得的新知识将共同导致一种可推广的方法来评估回流和生产废水中的危险元素污染。该项目将利用对回流和生产废水含量的深入了解，产生有关影响工业处理操作相关的Ba和Ra共沉淀的因素的全新知识，以及压裂液添加剂如何抑制或促进这一过程。

1438278PetersGeochemical controls on hazardous element mobilization in shales and precipitation in wastewater treatment Unconventional gas production, that is hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", holds the potential of making the US energy positive. However, during the fracking process it is possible to produce vast quantities of flow-back and production wastewaters. Flow-back water results from the fracking process itself where some of that water may return to the surface, and is known as flow-back water. It is also possible that water that has been in the shale formation may also come back to the surface and is referred to as produced water. In both cases one of the fears is that this water may contaminate either or both subsurface and surface waters. This project will study the chemistry of these waters to help inform others on the potential of environmental degradation. Also, as part of this project, through educational and outreach activities centered on the topics of energy and the environment, another goal is to inspire and excite young people about science and engineering in the context of relevant contemporary issues, and to instill confidence for academic achievement. Through a partnership with Princeton University's PACE Center, an educational program will be developed for middle-school children at Princeton's Community House, a program that seeks to close the minority achievement gap in the local community. For this project, after-school activities will be developed to introduce topics of energy production and environmental stewardship.From a scientific point of view, this project will provide a better understanding of the geochemical controls on hazardous element mobilization in flow-back and production wastewaters during fracking and shale gas extraction. The project will generate first-of-a-kind information about how barium (Ba), uranium (U) and radium (Ra) in shale formation rocks are distributed among mineral and organic phases. This information is critical for the development of geochemical models that predict hazardous element mobilization due to selective dissolution of mineral phases. Collectively the new knowledge gained will lead to a generalizable approach to assess hazardous element contamination in flow-back and production wastewaters. This project will use the advanced understanding of flow-back and production wastewaters content to generate fundamentally new knowledge about the factors that affect Ba and Ra co-precipitation relevant to industrial treatment operations, and how fracking fluid additives may inhibit or foster this process.