Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function

The widespread application of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies expanded oil and gas (OG) development to previously inaccessible resources. A single OG well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, which is a mixture of brine produced from the fractured formations and...

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Autores principales:	Denise M. Akob, Adam C. Mumford, Andrea Fraser, Cassandra R. Harris, William H. Orem, Matthew S. Varonka, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
Materias:	unconventional oil and gas production class II injection well wastewaters microbial activity microbial communities Microbiology QR1-502
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/092ba0d3bf7e4996910c2bc98e948270
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:092ba0d3bf7e4996910c2bc98e9482702021-12-01T13:54:20ZOil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function1664-302X10.3389/fmicb.2021.752947https://doaj.org/article/092ba0d3bf7e4996910c2bc98e9482702021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.752947/fullhttps://doaj.org/toc/1664-302XThe widespread application of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies expanded oil and gas (OG) development to previously inaccessible resources. A single OG well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, which is a mixture of brine produced from the fractured formations and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs). With thousands of wells completed each year, safe management of OG wastewaters has become a major challenge to the industry and regulators. OG wastewaters are commonly disposed of by underground injection, and previous research showed that surface activities at an Underground Injection Control (UIC) facility in West Virginia affected stream biogeochemistry and sediment microbial communities immediately downstream from the facility. Because microbially driven processes can control the fate and transport of organic and inorganic components of OG wastewater, we designed a series of aerobic microcosm experiments to assess the influence of high total dissolved solids (TDS) and two common HFF additives—the biocide 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide (DBNPA) and ethylene glycol (an anti-scaling additive)—on microbial community structure and function. Microcosms were constructed with sediment collected upstream (background) or downstream (impacted) from the UIC facility in West Virginia. Exposure to elevated TDS resulted in a significant decrease in aerobic respiration, and microbial community analysis following incubation indicated that elevated TDS could be linked to the majority of change in community structure. Over the course of the incubation, the sediment layer in the microcosms became anoxic, and addition of DBNPA was observed to inhibit iron reduction. In general, disruptions to microbial community structure and function were more pronounced in upstream and background sediment microcosms than in impacted sediment microcosms. These results suggest that the microbial community in impacted sediments had adapted following exposure to OG wastewater releases from the site. Our findings demonstrate the potential for releases from an OG wastewater disposal facility to alter microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. We anticipate that these studies will aid in the development of useful models for the potential impact of UIC disposal facilities on adjoining surface water and shallow groundwater.Denise M. AkobAdam C. MumfordAndrea FraserCassandra R. HarrisWilliam H. OremMatthew S. VaronkaIsabelle M. CozzarelliFrontiers Media S.A.articleunconventional oil and gas productionclass II injection wellwastewatersmicrobial activitymicrobial communitiesMicrobiologyQR1-502ENFrontiers in Microbiology, Vol 12 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	unconventional oil and gas production class II injection well wastewaters microbial activity microbial communities Microbiology QR1-502
spellingShingle	unconventional oil and gas production class II injection well wastewaters microbial activity microbial communities Microbiology QR1-502 Denise M. Akob Adam C. Mumford Andrea Fraser Cassandra R. Harris William H. Orem Matthew S. Varonka Isabelle M. Cozzarelli Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function
description	The widespread application of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies expanded oil and gas (OG) development to previously inaccessible resources. A single OG well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, which is a mixture of brine produced from the fractured formations and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs). With thousands of wells completed each year, safe management of OG wastewaters has become a major challenge to the industry and regulators. OG wastewaters are commonly disposed of by underground injection, and previous research showed that surface activities at an Underground Injection Control (UIC) facility in West Virginia affected stream biogeochemistry and sediment microbial communities immediately downstream from the facility. Because microbially driven processes can control the fate and transport of organic and inorganic components of OG wastewater, we designed a series of aerobic microcosm experiments to assess the influence of high total dissolved solids (TDS) and two common HFF additives—the biocide 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide (DBNPA) and ethylene glycol (an anti-scaling additive)—on microbial community structure and function. Microcosms were constructed with sediment collected upstream (background) or downstream (impacted) from the UIC facility in West Virginia. Exposure to elevated TDS resulted in a significant decrease in aerobic respiration, and microbial community analysis following incubation indicated that elevated TDS could be linked to the majority of change in community structure. Over the course of the incubation, the sediment layer in the microcosms became anoxic, and addition of DBNPA was observed to inhibit iron reduction. In general, disruptions to microbial community structure and function were more pronounced in upstream and background sediment microcosms than in impacted sediment microcosms. These results suggest that the microbial community in impacted sediments had adapted following exposure to OG wastewater releases from the site. Our findings demonstrate the potential for releases from an OG wastewater disposal facility to alter microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. We anticipate that these studies will aid in the development of useful models for the potential impact of UIC disposal facilities on adjoining surface water and shallow groundwater.
format	article
author	Denise M. Akob Adam C. Mumford Andrea Fraser Cassandra R. Harris William H. Orem Matthew S. Varonka Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
author_facet	Denise M. Akob Adam C. Mumford Andrea Fraser Cassandra R. Harris William H. Orem Matthew S. Varonka Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
author_sort	Denise M. Akob
title	Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function
title_short	Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function
title_full	Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function
title_fullStr	Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function
title_full_unstemmed	Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function
title_sort	oil and gas wastewater components alter streambed microbial community structure and function
publisher	Frontiers Media S.A.
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/092ba0d3bf7e4996910c2bc98e948270
work_keys_str_mv	AT denisemakob oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction AT adamcmumford oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction AT andreafraser oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction AT cassandrarharris oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction AT williamhorem oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction AT matthewsvaronka oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction AT isabellemcozzarelli oilandgaswastewatercomponentsalterstreambedmicrobialcommunitystructureandfunction
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Oil and Gas Wastewater Components Alter Streambed Microbial Community Structure and Function

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