The functional potential of microbial communities in hydraulic fracturing source water and produced water from natural gas extraction characterized by metagenomic sequencing

Microbial activity in produced water from hydraulic fracturing operations can lead to undesired environmental impacts and increase gas production costs. However, the metabolic profile of these microbial communities is not well understood. Here, for the first time, we present results from a shotgun metagenome of microbial communities in both hydraulic fracturing source water and wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing. Taxonomic analyses showed an increase in anaerobic/facultative anaerobic classes related to Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia and Epsilonproteobacteria in produced water as compared to predominantly aerobic Alphaproteobacteria in the fracturing source water. The metabolic profile revealed a relative increase in genes responsible for carbohydrate metabolism, respiration, sporulation and dormancy, iron acquisition and metabolism, stress response and sulfur metabolism in the produced water samples. These results suggest that microbial communities in produced water have an increased genetic ability to handle stress, which has significant implications for produced water management, such as disinfection

Fusion of metabolomics and proteomics data for biomarkers discovery: case study on the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Contains fulltext : 91843.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)12 p

Using helicopter electromagnetic surveys to identify potential hazards at coal waste impoundments

In July 2003, the National Technology Transfer Center contracted with Fugro Airborne Surveys to perform helicopter electromagnetic surveys of 14 coal waste impoundments in southern West Virginia. The purpose of these surveys was to detect conditions that may lead to impoundment failure either by structural failure of the embankment or by the flooding of adjacent or underlying mine works. Specifically, the surveys attempted to: 1) identify saturated zones within the coal waste, 2) delineate the paths of filtrate flow through the embankment and into adjacent strata or receiving streams, and 3) identify flooded mine workings underlying or adjacent to the waste impoundment. In-phase and quadrature data from the helicopter surveys were inverted using EM1DFM software to generate conductivity/depth images. Conductivity/depth images were then spatially linked to georeferenced air photos or topographic maps for interpretation. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates that helicopter electromagnetic surveys can provide a picture of the hydrologic conditions that exist within the impoundment. However, results from the helicopter electromagnetic surveys must be corroborated with data from other sources to accurately assess the potential for impoundment failure or the potential for filtrate from the impoundment to contaminate local streams and aquifers

Using airborne electromagnetic surveys to identify potential hazards at coal waste impoundments: Examples from West Virginia

Mine impoundments have in the past been a cause of catastrophic loss of life and destruction of property. To characterize this potential hazard, helicopter-mounted electromagnetic (HEM) surveys of coal waste impoundments were completed to identify fluid saturated zones within coal waste and to delineate the paths of filtrate fluid flow beneath the decant pond, through the embankment, and into adjacent strata or receiving streams. We also attempted to identify flooded mine workings underlying or spatially adjacent to the waste impoundment areas. In this effort, the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy (http://www.netl.doe.gov) conducted HEM surveys of 14 coal waste impoundments in southern West Virginia. Five electromagnetic frequencies were used in our surveys (385, 1700, 6536, 28120 and 116300 Hz) and processed using different inversion techniques to determine apparent conductivity depth images (CDI). Follow-up, ground-based resistivity surveys verified the results of the HEM survey. Overall, HEM and ground-based geophysical surveys proved to be effective in delineating the phreatic surface, determining seep locations, locating blockage in engineered drains, imaging areas of unconsolidated slurry, locating areas where process water has invaded adjacent aquifers, potentially depicting the possible location of flooded underground mine workings, locating infiltration zones into the abandoned mines and determining the spatial extent of impoundment impact