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Fate of Radium in Marcellus Shale Flowback Water Impoundments and Assessment of Associated Health Risks
Tieyuan Zhang1, Richard W Hammack1, Radisav D Vidic1
1‡National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236, United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|July 9, 2015
Summary
Radium-226 (Ra-226) from natural gas extraction concentrates in storage impoundment sludge, primarily carried by Barite. Management strategies impact Ra-226 levels, with worker radiation exposure remaining below limits.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Radiochemistry
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Natural gas extraction produces wastewater with high salinity, heavy metals, and naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM).
- Flowback water from Marcellus Shale is stored in impoundments before treatment, reuse, or disposal.
- Radium-226 (Ra-226) is the predominant NORM component in this flowback water.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fate of Ra-226 in three centralized flowback water storage impoundments in southwestern Pennsylvania over 2.5 years.
- To determine the factors influencing Ra-226 concentration and distribution within these impoundments.
- To assess the implications of Ra-226 behavior for waste management and worker safety.
Main Methods:
- Field sampling of impoundment water and sludge.
- Sequential extraction procedure (SEP) and chemical composition analysis of sludge.
- Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) (EPA Method 1311) for leaching assessment.
- RESRAD modeling for radiation exposure assessment.
Main Results:
- Ra-226 concentration in storage facilities is influenced by management strategies and generally increases with flowback water reuse.
- Ra-226 significantly enriches in impoundment sludge, increasing from <10 pCi/g in fresh sludge to hundreds of pCi/g in aged sludge.
- Barite was identified as the primary carrier of Ra-226 within the sludge.
- TCLP results indicate potential leaching concerns for Ra-226 in sludge.
- RESRAD modeling showed baseline radiation dose equivalents for on-site workers were below NRC limits.
Conclusions:
- Radium-226 accumulates in storage impoundment sludge, with Barite being the main host mineral.
- Effective waste management strategies are crucial to mitigate risks associated with Ra-226 accumulation.
- While Ra-226 concentrations in sludge can be high, worker radiation exposure under baseline conditions remains within regulatory limits.
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