The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas (UO&G) infrastructure in the Appalachian Basin of Pennsylvania and Ohio has provoked concerns regarding potential impairments to groundwater resources. Multiple pathways for chemical contamination have been identified, including casing ruptures and surface spills, and close proximity to dense UO&G operations can increase the likelihood of such contamination. In Ohio’s Belmont and Monroe counties, over 9,500 actively producing well heads are clustered in high producing regions. However, investigations into the impact of UO&G operations in this region have been confounded by a two-centuries-long history of extractive industries, including coal mining and conventional gas development. This study aims to understand the source and magnitude of groundwater impairments in southeastern Ohio and how they relate to recent UO&G development and a legacy of extractive industries. Over the summer of 2019, more than 150 individual groundwater samples were collected from domestic wells and springs in Ohio’s Belmont and Monroe counties. All samples were collected upstream of treatment systems and analyzed for a wide suite of components, including trace metals, major ions, dissolved inorganic carbon, and gases. We identify trends in inorganic water chemistry, leverage these to tease apart complicated groundwater histories and the source of potential contamination, and discuss how they relate to past and present industrial development in southeastern Ohio.

Untangling histories of extraction: Investigation of spatial trends in inorganic groundwater chemistry in two counties in southeastern Ohio

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.