Fracking Fluid Research Results

CSU-led Research Team Analyzed More than 200 Research Papers, Studies and Literature About Hydraulic Fracturing

The group researched biocides, a chemical compound used in hydraulic fracturing to kill damaging bacteria. Biocides can also be found in bleach and household products, and are used in many industrial processes outside of the oil and gas industry.

A review article,"Bioicides in Hydraulic Facturing Fluids: A Critical Review of Their Usage, Mobility Degradation, and Toxicity,"was published in Environmental Science & Technology in November.

The team included professors and researchers from Colorado State University and Montana State University. The study was funded by the CSU Foundation's Borch-Hoppess Fund for Environmental Research.

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Lead investigator Thomas Borch, an associate professor of environmental chemistry at CSU, said the group focused on existing research — much of which is conflicting — to "derive conclusions that can be used to serve as a guide for environmental risk assessment" and identify sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to manage fracking fluid.

The findings

Some of the team's conclusions, as outlined in the journal article, include:

•Nine of the 16 major biocides used in hydraulic fracturing have chronic toxicity effects, including effects that are developmental, reproductive, mutagenic, carcinogenic or neurological. Three of the remaining seven could transform into products with toxic potential.

•The most likely cause for environmental contamination involving fracking fluids is a surface spill. There were 591 reported spills releasing a total of 590,000 gallons in Colorado in 2013, according to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. That's around 0.004 percent of all produced water.

Source: Coloradoan

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Taxonomy

• Sludge Separation
• Research
• Fracking