Return fluids (flowback and produce water) are one of the highest quantity by‐product in oil and gas industry. These fluids are treated in wastewater treatment plants, reused as part of hydrofracking fluids, and reinjected into the ground by injection wells. The treatment and management process effects the environment and surrounding ecosystem. In this review, the fate and impacts of hydrofracking fluids and return fluids along with different treatment options published in literature are summarized. The life cycle of hydraulic fracturing from shale resource to return fluids and their possible implications are discussed from an environmental point of view. Observed shift in microbial communities is reported. Physocochemical and biotechnological approaches practiced by several scientists suggest a possible treatment option under optimized conditions on the surface which could not only reduce the impact on the ecosystem but can also provide a huge quantity of reclaimed water.
Water is one of many viral transmission routes, and the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater has brought attention to its treatment. SARS CoV-2 primarily transmits in the air but the persistence of the virus in the water possibly can serve as a secondary source even though current studies do not show this. In this paper, an evaluation of the current literature with regards to the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and biosolids is presented. Treatment efficiencies of WWTPs are compared for viral load reduction on the basis of publicly available data. The results of this evaluation indicate that existing WWTPs are effectively removing 1–6 log
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viable SARS-CoV-2. However, sludge and biosolids provide an umbrella of protection from treatment and inactivation to the virus. Hence, sludge treatment factors like high temperature, pH changes, and predatory microorganisms can effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2.
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