Radioactive contamination from fracking wastewater spills

A Duke University study of fracking wastewater spills in North Dakota has found high levels of selenium, lead, ammonium, and other toxic compounds. High levels of radium 226, radioactive with a half-life of 1600 years, were also found. The researchers observed that pipeline leaks were responsible for half of the spilled wastewater, with the remainder coming from valves, connections, tank leaks, and tank overflows.

“Unlike spilled oil, which starts to break down in soil, these spilled brines consist of inorganic chemicals, metals and salts that are resistant to biodegradation,” said Lauer, a Ph.D. student who was lead author of the study. “They don’t go away; they stay. This has created a legacy of radioactivity at spill sites.”

Their study concluded: "The resistance of inorganic contamination to biodegradation and its consequential persistence in the environment suggest that contamination from brine spills in North Dakota will continue to impact nearby water resources for years to come. To fully understand the impacts of brine spills in North Dakota, future research should evaluate additional spill sites, analyze organic contamination in addition to inorganic elements, assess the impacts downstream of spill sites, including risks to drinking water sources, and conduct a comprehensive assessment of long-term ecological and possible human health impacts."

http://drcinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ND-brine-spill.pdf

"Brine Spills Associated with Unconventional Oil Development in North Dakota"

Nancy E. Lauer, et al, Environmental Science and Technology journal

http://oilpatchdispatch.areavoices.com/2016/04/27/spill-contaminati...

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Permalink Reply by Paul Heckbert on June 21, 2016 at 3:50pm

Here's a video about these North Dakota radioactive fracking wastewater spills:

https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/1061995020557288/

Permalink Reply by Vincent D Sherry on June 22, 2016 at 12:06pm

Paul, 

With out the use of fossil fuels the fact is you would already be a dead man most likely.  You would have died from a simple illness long ago.  Hell you probably wouldn't even have been born...not a bad thing from what I have read from you....You would in fact not be able to voice your opinion on the internet because it would not exist without hydro carbons specifically oil gas and coal.  Fossil fuels have improved the quality of life for all of us.  You and all that are like you are simply put hypocrites.  When you are ready to stop using all forms of hydrocarbons to live you have the right to speak about the ills of the technology in the consistently negative ways that you do.  The fact is you can't stop using hydrocarbons because they go much much much deeper into the quality of life you now enjoy.  You and everyone else on the planet are benefiting from oil and gas now and forever.  Read the book a moral case for fossil fuels its a real eye opener.  Everything from your computer to life saving drugs and machines need hydro carbons to exist and would never have existed with out them.  We will continue to need hydrocarbons far after we find new energy sources to simply sustain power grids.  You focus on the negatives which are very few when you fairly compare the alternatives.  You can't deny the simple fact that you and all your liberal buddy's are hydro carbon dependent...you can't live with out it and you won't admit it is hear to stay...Many of your leaders have larger carbon footprints than 99% of the people on earth.....All hypocrites....Paul you suck...shut your oil gas and coal laden mouth!  lol!

Permalink Reply by Bob Byler on June 22, 2016 at 12:45pm
YOU GO VINCE!!! The best rebuttal I've read to date! I'm not sure what Paul's purpose in life is, but he must think he's our savior??
Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on June 22, 2016 at 1:19pm

Probably just heavily invested in intermittently available alternatives and trying to sucker more investors.

Must think the readers here are stupid.

Permalink Reply by Gas Boy on June 23, 2016 at 5:37am

HEADLINE - Radioactive contamination of the Earth by the SUN.

Permalink Reply by Jon on June 23, 2016 at 7:47am
Let's ban the Sun!
Permalink Reply by Paul Heckbert on June 23, 2016 at 10:16am

Gas Boy: are you confusing radiation (e.g. sunlight, or radio waves) with radioactivity?

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on June 23, 2016 at 12:10pm

Pardon my interruption, Gents.

But, 'radiation' is a product of 'radioactivity'.

And, aren't you concerned about the 'radiation' emitted by 'radioactive' materials in 'frac' waste, and it's harmful affects on lifeforms, Paul ?

Isn't that your main concern, Paul ?

If not, what is your concern pertaining to 'radioactive' materials ?

Just curious.

Permalink Reply by Paul Heckbert on June 23, 2016 at 7:39pm

Science refresher:

Radioactivity is particles that shoot out when unstable atomic nuclei break apart (nuclear fission). Radioactivity comes in several forms: alpha particles (2 protons and 2 neutrons), beta particles (flying electrons), or gamma rays (high frequency photons).

Electromagnetic radiation (what a non-physicist means when they say “radiation”) is photons. There is a broad spectrum of radiation, from the dangerous high frequency (aka “ionizing radiation”) gamma rays, x-rays, and ultraviolet, to the safe low frequencies (non-ionizing radiation) of visible light, infrared, microwave, and radio waves.

The radiation emitted by the sun is mostly visible light plus a little ultraviolet and a little infrared. It emits very few gamma rays. Much of the radiation at ultraviolet frequencies is absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere. The alpha and beta particles from the Sun are filtered out by the atmosphere or deflected by Earth’s magnetic field. If you wear sunscreen or stay out of direct sunlight, the sun’s radiation or particles won’t hurt you.

Alpha particles are a danger to people typically when they are ingested, e.g. eating radium or breathing radon. Beta particles can hurt you if ingested and they can also pass through clothing or skin. Gamma rays pass in a straight line through almost anything (except lead or miles of Earth’s atmosphere) so it’s best to stay far away from the source. Your total exposure to gamma rays will drop inversely with the square of your distance from the source.

I don’t know why Gas Boy suggested that the Sun is causing radioactive contamination of the Earth. Either he’s joking or he was confused by the similarity of the words “radiation” and “radioactive”.

Unless you are an astronaut, you need not worry about high energy particles from the sun. You should, however, worry about getting close to highly radioactive materials like radium or radon, or inhaling or ingesting them. Because fracking waste can be radioactive to dangerous levels, it’s prudent to test air, water, and food that comes from a region with fracking waste.

Permalink Reply by Joseph-Ohio on June 24, 2016 at 12:21am

As I understand these things the particles that are emitted by radioactivity / radio active materials are also exactly radiation emitted by the material's nuclear instability.

The sun is constantly emitting radiation (particles) however by virtue of it's thermonuclear chain reactions / mechanisms.

Same stuff but different emission mechanisms and how I (at any rate) interpretted Gas Boy's remarks.

But thanks for the 'science' / 'ray details' anyway there Paul.

Permalink Reply by Barry D on June 23, 2016 at 1:48pm

Paul,

Come on now, you are just playing word games.

You know as well as others here, that the sun also emits radioactive particles as part of the "solar wind" that pass through our atmosphere, strike the earth and also us.

Gas Boy was right and you know it.

Permalink Reply by Paul Heckbert on September 16, 2016 at 2:18am

Researchers are wondering if fracking (not the wastewater) might be responsible for the increase in radon gas in Pennsylvania:

"Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say that levels of radon in Pennsylvania homes – where 42 percent of readings surpass what the U.S. government considers safe – have been on the rise since 2004, around the time that the fracking industry began drilling natural gas wells in the state.

The researchers, publishing online April 9 in Environmental Health Perspectives, also found that buildings located in the counties where natural gas is most actively being extracted out of Marcellus shale have in the past decade seen significantly higher readings of radon compared with buildings in low-activity areas. There were no such county differences prior to 2004. Radon, an odorless radioactive gas, is considered the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the world after smoking.

“One plausible explanation for elevated radon levels in people’s homes is the development of thousands of unconventional natural gas wells in Pennsylvania over the past 10 years,” says study leader Brian S. Schwartz, MD, a professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School. “These findings worry us.” "

source: http://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2015/increased-levels-of-ra...

radio story: http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=16-P13-00036&s...

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