Enabling Improved Public Health Protection by Assessing the Vulnerability of Naturally- and Hydraulically-Fractured Aquifers.

通过评估自然和水力破裂含水层的脆弱性，改善公共卫生保护。

• 批准号: 250121-2013
• 负责人: Dickson, Sarah
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=570825
• 关键词: Enabling; Improved; Public; Health; Protection

More than 25% of Canadians rely on ground water for their drinking water supply. Many instances of waterborne illnesses are attributed to groundwater sources that were considered safe and became contaminated by pathogens (e.g., Walkerton, ON, May 2000). These disease outbreaks are not randomly distributed; rather they are more likely to occur in fractured rock aquifers. In Canada, 70% of the regional aquifers occur in fractured bedrock, and it is common practice to hydraulically fracture (frack) these aquifers to increase the water yield. This practice can further increase the vulnerability of these aquifers to pathogen contamination due to the induction of hydraulic connections between the aquifer and ground surface. The proposed research combines field- and laboratory-scale experiments with modeling to investigate the effects of fracking bedrock wells on the vulnerability of these aquifers to pathogen contamination. It will focus on the advancement of our conceptual understanding of pathogen transport and retention in fractures. This conceptual, or mechanistic, approach will enable the application of the knowledge gained through this work to different sites and conditions. The following research questions will be addressed: 1) Can fracking a bedrock well induce hydraulic connections between the aquifer and the surface; 2) What is the effect of pathogen size on transport and retention in fractures; 3) What effect does well operation (i.e. pump cycling and flow rate) have on pathogen transport and retention; and 4) How can laboratory-scale findings be linked to the field scale? This research will provide the knowledge required for legislators to develop evidence-based policy regarding source water protection and hydraulic fracturing that directly affects the public health of Canadians. It will also provide practitioners with the knowledge required for developing bedrock aquifer protection plans, and tools for assessing bedrock aquifer vulnerability. Finally, it will provide excellent training opportunities for 10 HQP.

超过 25% 的加拿大人依靠地下水作为饮用水供应。许多水传播疾病的实例都归因于被认为安全的地下水源却被​​病原体污染（例如，安大略省沃克顿，2000 年 5 月）。这些疾病的爆发并不是随机分布的；相反，它们更有可能出现在裂隙岩石含水层中。在加拿大，70% 的区域含水层存在于裂隙基岩中，通常的做法是对这些含水层进行水力压裂（压裂）以增加产水量。由于含水层和地表之间存在水力连接，这种做法会进一步增加这些含水层对病原体污染的脆弱性。 拟议的研究将现场和实验室规模的实验与建模相结合，以研究水力压裂基岩井对这些含水层对病原体污染的脆弱性的影响。它将重点关注推进我们对骨折中病原体运输和滞留的概念理解。这种概念性或机械性方法将使通过这项工作获得的知识应用于不同的地点和条件。将解决以下研究问题：1）基岩井的水力压裂能否引起含水层和地表之间的水力连接； 2）病原体大小对裂缝中的迁移和滞留有什么影响？ 3）油井运行（即泵循环和流量）对病原体输送和滞留有什么影响； 4) 实验室规模的研究结果如何与现场规模联系起来？ 这项研究将为立法者提供所需的知识，以制定有关直接影响加拿大人公共健康的水源保护和水力压裂的循证政策。它还将为从业人员提供制定基岩含水层保护计划所需的知识以及评估基岩含水层脆弱性的工具。最后，将为10名总部人员提供极好的培训机会。