Radon in groundwater baseline study prior to unconventional shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo Basin (South Africa)

Botha, R.; Lindsay, R.; Newman, R.T.; Maleka, Peane P.; Chimba, G.

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.02.006

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…128 The reported levels of radium were generally low, whereas several sites had radon levels above the WHO reference level (100 Bq/L) in shallow aquifers of the Karoo Basin. 19 4.2. Anthropogenic Contamination.…”

Section: Geological and Geochemical Characteristics Of Shale Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…Elevated trace element concentrations at baseline conditions have been reported in bedrock groundwater from shale gas development areas, such as As and Mn in the Appalachian Basin ,,, and As, Be, and Mo in the Permian Basin . In addition, baseline studies of shallow aquifers have reported elevated concentrations of potentially toxic minor elements including F, Ba, and B. ,,, Due to environmental concerns related to radioactive elements in shales, natural radioactivity and radionuclide activities (Rn-222, Ra-226, Ra-228) have been recently evaluated in shallow groundwater from the Karoo Basin (South Africa), the Carboniferous Maritime Basin (Canada), and the Sichuan Basin (China) . The reported levels of radium were generally low, whereas several sites had radon levels above the WHO reference level (100 Bq/L) in shallow aquifers of the Karoo Basin …”

Section: Baseline Studies Of Shallow Groundwater Geochemistry In Shal...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It differs from the “natural geochemical background” that refers to the concentration range of a substance in a pristine environment, i.e., unaffected by anthropogenic influence . As part of environmental baseline assessment, a number of geochemical baseline studies have emerged in recent years in shale gas development areas. ,− A significant amount of inorganic chemical data is now available, both related to the shallow groundwater and flowback/produced water from various shale gas production sites. However, these baseline studies have followed different approaches, as there is no consensus on the collection of baseline data, including sampling network design, sampling duration/frequency, or geochemical parameters to measure .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Potential Impacts of Shale Gas Development on Inorganic Groundwater Chemistry: Implications for Environmental Baseline Assessment in Shallow Aquifers

Bondu

Kloppmann

Naumenko-Dèzes

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The potential contamination of shallow groundwater with inorganic constituents is a major environmental concern associated with shale gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing. However, the impact of shale gas development on groundwater quality is a highly controversial issue. The only way to reliably assess whether groundwater quality has been impacted by shale gas development is to collect pre-development baseline data against which subsequent changes in groundwater quality can be compared. The objective of this paper is to provide a conceptual and methodological framework for establishing a baseline of inorganic groundwater quality in shale gas areas, which is becoming standard practice as a prerequisite for evaluating shale gas development impacts on shallow aquifers. For this purpose, this paper first reviews the potential sources of inorganic contaminants in shallow groundwater from shale gas areas. Then, it reviews the previous baseline studies of groundwater geochemistry in shale gas areas, showing that a comprehensive baseline assessment includes documenting the natural sources of salinity, potential geogenic contamination, and potential anthropogenic influences from legacy contamination and surface land use activities that are not related to shale gas development. Based on this knowledge, best practices are identified in terms of baseline sampling, selection of inorganic baseline parameters, and definition of threshold levels.

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Section: Geological and Geochemical Characteristics Of Shale Reservoirsmentioning

confidence: 81%