Center for Healthy Environments and Communities, Graduate School of Public Health, University Of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Environ Sci Technol. 2013 Apr 2;47(7):3472-81. doi: 10.1021/es301411q. Epub 2013 Mar 14.
Unconventional natural gas development in Pennsylvania has created a new wastewater stream. In an effort to stop the discharge of Marcellus Shale unconventional natural gas development wastewaters into surface waters, on May 19, 2011 the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) requested drilling companies stop disposing their wastewater through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This research includes a chemical analysis of effluents discharged from three WWTPs before and after the aforementioned request. The WWTPs sampled included two municipal, publicly owned treatment works and a commercially operated industrial wastewater treatment plant. Analyte concentrations were quanitified and then compared to water quality criteria, including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency MCLs and "human health criteria." Certain analytes including barium, strontium, bromides, chlorides, total dissolved solids, and benzene were measured in the effluent at concentrations above criteria. Analyte concentrations measured in effluent samples before and after the PADEP's request were compared for each facility. Analyte concentrations in the effluents decreased in the majority of samples after the PADEP's request (p < .05). This research provides preliminary evidence that these and similar WWTPs may not be able to provide sufficient treatment for this wastewater stream, and more thorough monitoring is recommended.
宾夕法尼亚州的非常规天然气开发产生了一种新的废水。为了阻止马塞勒斯页岩非常规天然气开发废水排入地表水，宾夕法尼亚州环境保护部（PADEP）于 2011 年 5 月 19 日要求钻井公司停止通过废水处理厂（WWTP）处理其废水。这项研究包括对三个 WWTP 排放的废水进行化学分析，这些 WWTP 在上述请求之前和之后进行了采样。采样的 WWTP 包括两个市政、公共拥有的处理厂和一个商业运营的工业废水处理厂。对分析物浓度进行了定量，并与水质标准（包括美国环境保护署的 MCL 和“人类健康标准”）进行了比较。在废水处理厂排放的废水中，钡、锶、溴化物、氯化物、总溶解固体和苯等某些分析物的浓度超过了标准。比较了 PADEP 请求前后每个设施的废水处理厂排放物中的分析物浓度。在 PADEP 请求后，大多数样品中的废水处理厂排放物中的分析物浓度下降（p<0.05）。这项研究初步表明，这些和类似的 WWTP 可能无法为这种废水提供足够的处理，建议进行更彻底的监测。
