The United States Department of Energy Annual Outlook report estimates the demand for natural gas to increase as high as 39% by 2035.  Hydraulic fracturing technology is an effective method for accessing previously unattainable natural gas resources in shale rock formations, but is not without environmental concerns.  With a tremendous supply of water required for drilling, in combination with flowback wastewater with excessive dissolved metals, there has become an essential and urgent need for new methods of wastewater treatment.  Many small molecules have proven successful in binding cations in aqueous solution.  Our research explores the ability of pyridine based small molecules that can bind and sequester calcium and strontium cations found in hydraulic fracturing flowback water.  In addition, we demonstrate that the small molecule:metal complex can be used as a nutrient source for certain soil bacteria.<br/>

Removal of calcium and strontium cations at concentrations found in hydraulic fracturing flowback water using pyridine based small molecules and soil bacteria

251st National Meeting (2016)

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