Geochemical 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”，具有使美国能源变得积极的潜力。然而，在压裂过程中可能会产生大量的返排和生产废水。返水是水力压裂过程本身产生的，其中一些水可能会返回地面，被称为返水。也有可能存在于页岩地层中的水也会回到地表，被称为采出水。在这两种情况下，人们担心的是，这些水可能会污染地下和地表水中的一种或两种。该项目将研究这些水域的化学成分，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主题的教育和推广活动，另一个目标是在相关当代问题的背景下激励和激发年轻人对科学和工程的兴趣，并为学术成就灌输信心。通过与普林斯顿大学的PACE中心合作，将为普林斯顿社区之家的中学生开发一个教育项目，该项目旨在缩小当地社区少数民族的成就差距。在这个项目中，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压裂和页岩气开采过程中返排和生产废水中有害元素运移的地球化学控制。该项目将产生关于页岩地层岩石中的钡（Ba）、铀(U)和镭（Ra）如何在矿物和有机相中分布的第一手信息。这些信息对于地球化学模型的发展是至关重要的，这些模型可以预测由于矿物相的选择性溶解而导致的有害元素的动员。总的来说，获得的新知识将导致一种可推广的方法来评估回流和生产废水中的有害元素污染。该项目将利用对返排和生产废水含量的深入了解，从根本上对工业处理操作中影响Ba和Ra共沉淀的因素以及压裂液添加剂如何抑制或促进这一过程产生新的认识。

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.