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Farnan J, Vanden Heuvel JP, Dorman FL, Warner NR, Burgos WD. Toxicity and chemical composition of commercial road palliatives versus oil and gas produced waters. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 334:122184. [PMID: 37453689 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Across the United States, road palliatives are applied to roads for maintenance operations that improve road safety. In the winter, solid rock salts and brine solutions are used to reduce the accumulation of snow and ice, while in the summer, dust suppressants are used to minimize fugitive dust emissions. Many of these products are chloride-based salts that have been linked to freshwater salinization, toxicity to aquatic organisms, and damage to infrastructure. To minimize these impacts, organic products have been gaining attention, though their widespread adoption has been limited due to their higher cost. In some states, using produced water from conventionally drilled oil and gas wells (OGPWs) on roads is permitted as a cost-effective alternative to commercial products, despite its typically elevated concentrations of heavy metals, radioactivity, and organic micropollutants. In this study, 17 road palliatives used for winter and summer road maintenance were collected and their chemical composition and potential human toxicity were characterized. Results from this study demonstrated that liquid brine solutions had elevated levels of trace metals (Zn, Cu, Sr, Li) that could pose risks to human and environmental health. The radium activity of liquid calcium chloride products was comparable to the activity of OGPWs and could be a significant source of radium to the environment. The organic fractions of evaluated OGPWs and chloride-based products posed little risk to human health. However, organic-based dust suppressants regulated toxicity pathways related to xenobiotic metabolism, lipid metabolism, endocrine disruption, and oxidative stress, indicating their use could lead to environmental harm and health risks to operators handing these products and residents living near treated roads.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Farnan
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - John P Vanden Heuvel
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA ,16802, USA; INDIGO Biosciences, Inc., 3006 Research Drive, Suite A1, PA, 16801, USA.
| | - Frank L Dorman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA ,16802, USA.
| | - Nathaniel R Warner
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - William D Burgos
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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2
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Emmons RV, Shyam Sunder GS, Liden T, Schug KA, Asfaha TY, Lawrence JG, Kirchhoff JR, Gionfriddo E. Unraveling the Complex Composition of Produced Water by Specialized Extraction Methodologies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:2334-2344. [PMID: 35080868 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Produced water (PW), a waste byproduct of oil and gas extraction, is a complex mixture containing numerous organic solubles and elemental species; these constituents range from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to naturally occurring radioactive materials. Identification of these compounds is critical in developing reuse and disposal protocols to minimize environmental contamination and health risks. In this study, versatile extraction methodologies were investigated for the untargeted analysis of PW. Thin-film solid-phase microextraction with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance particles was utilized for the extraction of organic solubles from eight PW samples from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford formation in Texas. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis found a total of 266 different organic constituents including 1,4-dioxane, atrazine, pyridine, and PAHs. The elemental composition of PW was evaluated using dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, utilizing a new coordinating sorbent, poly(pyrrole-1-carboxylic acid). This confirmed the presence of 29 elements including rare earth elements, as well as hazardous metals such as Cr, Cd, Pb, and U. Utilizing chemometric analysis, both approaches facilitated the discrimination of each PW sample based on their geochemical origin with a prediction accuracy above 90% using partial least-squares-discriminant analysis, paving the way for PW origin tracing in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald V Emmons
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- Dr. Nina McClelland Laboratory for Water Chemistry and Environmental Analysis, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Govind Sharma Shyam Sunder
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- Dr. Nina McClelland Laboratory for Water Chemistry and Environmental Analysis, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- School of Green Chemistry and Engineering, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Tiffany Liden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Kevin A Schug
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
- Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Timnit Yosef Asfaha
- Center for Materials and Sensor Characterization, College of Engineering, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Joseph G Lawrence
- Center for Materials and Sensor Characterization, College of Engineering, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Jon R Kirchhoff
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- Dr. Nina McClelland Laboratory for Water Chemistry and Environmental Analysis, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- School of Green Chemistry and Engineering, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
| | - Emanuela Gionfriddo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- Dr. Nina McClelland Laboratory for Water Chemistry and Environmental Analysis, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
- School of Green Chemistry and Engineering, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
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3
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Wang YK, Kong FX, Yang DM, Liu Q, Lin XF, Chen JF, Zhang Y. The synergistic effect of electrocoagulation coupled with E-peroxone process for shale gas fracturing flowback water treatment. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 262:127968. [PMID: 33182104 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Electrocoagulation (EC) coupled with E-peroxone process (ECP) was a promising and cost-effective integrated technology for shale gas fracturing flowback water (SGFFW) treatment. In this study, the ECP process was comprehensively compared with two sequential processes (EC followed by E-peroxone (EC-E-peroxone) and E-peroxone followed by EC (E-peroxone-EC)) to elucidate the synergistic effect of this coupled process. In EC-E-peroxone process, COD decreased by 89.2%, while COD decreased by 82.5% for 180 min in E-peroxone-EC process. However, COD removal efficiency was 82.4% in ECP for only 90 min. Average current efficiency of the ECP process was 29.9%, which was twice than that of the sequential processes. The enhancement factor was calculated to be 1.63, demonstrating the substantial significant synergistic effects for ECP. Only low MW components could be observed for the EC-E-peroxone (average MW = 533 Da with PD ≈ 1) and ECP process (MW = 538 Da with PD ≈ 1). These results suggested that EC-E-peroxone and ECP process had much stronger oxidation ability, demonstrating the enhancement of OH production induced by the Al-based coagulants might be responsible for the significant enhancement of COD removal. These results indicated there could be a synergistic effect between EC and ozone in addition to EC and E-peroxone reactions. Compared to the two sequential processes, ECP was a high efficiency and space-saving electrochemical system with simultaneous coagulation and enhanced OH generation by the products of anode and the cathode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Kun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Shale Gas Exploration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, 401120, China; State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
| | - Fan-Xin Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China.
| | - De-Min Yang
- Key Laboratory of Shale Gas Exploration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, 401120, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Shale Gas Exploration and Development, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
| | - Jin-Fu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Beijing Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Pollution Control, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Shale Gas Exploration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, 401120, China
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Piotrowski PK, Tasker TL, Geeza TJ, McDevitt B, Gillikin DP, Warner NR, Dorman FL. Forensic tracers of exposure to produced water in freshwater mussels: a preliminary assessment of Ba, Sr, and cyclic hydrocarbons. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15416. [PMID: 32963276 PMCID: PMC7508860 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72014-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing is often criticized due in part to the potential degradation of ground and surface water quality by high-salinity produced water generated during well stimulation and production. This preliminary study evaluated the response of the freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata, after exposure to produced water. A limited number of adult mussels were grown over an 8-week period in tanks dosed with produced water collected from a hydraulically fractured well. The fatty tissue and carbonate shells were assessed for accumulation of both inorganic and organic pollutants. Ba, Sr, and cyclic hydrocarbons indicated the potential to accumulate in the soft tissue of freshwater mussels following exposure to diluted oil and gas produced water. Exposed mussels showed accumulation of Ba in the soft tissue several hundred times above background water concentrations and increased concentrations of Sr. Cyclic hydrocarbons were detected in dosed mussels and principle component analysis of gas chromatograph time-of-flight mass spectrometer results could be a novel tool to help identify areas where aquatic organisms are impacted by oil and gas produced water, but larger studies with greater replication are necessary to confirm these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina K Piotrowski
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Travis L Tasker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Environmental Engineering, Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA, USA
| | - Thomas J Geeza
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,EES-14, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87544, USA
| | - Bonnie McDevitt
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - David P Gillikin
- Department of Geology, Union College, 807 Union St, Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA
| | - Nathaniel R Warner
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Frank L Dorman
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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5
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Stultz C, Jaramillo R, Teehan P, Dorman F. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography thermodynamic modeling and selectivity evaluation for the separation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in fish tissue matrix. J Chromatogr A 2020; 1626:461311. [PMID: 32797814 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is a powerful tool for complex separations. The selectivity and sensitivity benefits from thermally modulated GC×GC were applied to the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Thermodynamic indices of 50 PCDD/Fs, including the 17 toxic 2378-substituted congeners, were collected and used to model one-dimensional and two-dimensional separations with the Rtx-Dioxin2 and Rxi-17SilMS capillary GC columns. Thermodynamic modeling was used to determine the optimal conditions to take advantage of the selectivity differences between the Rxi-17SilMS and Rtx-Dioxin2 to separate all PCDD/Fs congeners from the 2378-substituted compounds by GC×GC. The modeled elution order patterns closely matched the experimental elution order in 40 of the 45 tetrachlorinated through hexchlorinated compounds analyzed. The heptachlorinated and octachlorinated congeners were not included in the elution order modeling as they are readily resolved from other dioxin congeners. The Rxi-17SilMS crossed with the Rtx-Dioxin2 was able to separate all 2378-substituted compounds in a single separation in a fish matrix. Thirty-three additional PCDD/F congeners were added to the fish matrix that coelute with the 2378-substituted congeners. The Rxi-17SilMS crossed with the Rtx-Dioxin2 was able to fully resolve 11 of the 2378-substituted congeners with the other six congeners exhibiting coelutions with only one other congener.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner Stultz
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Chemistry Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Roman Jaramillo
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Chemistry Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Paige Teehan
- Department of Biochemistry Microbiology and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Frank Dorman
- Department of Biochemistry Microbiology and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.
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6
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Retention time prediction of hydrocarbons in cryogenically modulated comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography: A method development and translation application. J Chromatogr A 2020; 1612:460696. [PMID: 31892412 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2019.460696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Thermodynamic modeling of GC × GC separations provides a tool for rapid method evaluation and optimization. Separations of 95 hydrocarbons on two cryogenically modulated GC × GC systems (atmospheric outlet and vacuum outlet) are modeled, displaying average second dimension retention time modeling absolute errors of 0.17 s and 0.12 s respectively, and generating modeled chromatograms which sufficiently represent experimental data. A web-based GC × GC modeling routine is presented which allows users to model separations, currently focused on hydrocarbons, with full control over all system parameters. The method translation capabilities of the application are further demonstrated by replicating Piotrowski et al.'s GC × GC-HRT temporal distribution plots of hydraulic fracturing flowback fluid hydrocarbons [28].
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7
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Weggler BA, Gruber B, Teehan P, Jaramillo R, Dorman FL. Inlets and sampling. SEP SCI TECHNOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813745-1.00005-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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8
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Qian K, Wang FC. Compositional Analysis of Heavy Petroleum Distillates by Comprehensive Two-dimensional Gas Chromatography, Field Ionization and High-resolution Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2019; 30:2785-2794. [PMID: 31741268 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-019-02349-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We report recent progresses of combining comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (2DGC or GC × GC) separation, field ionization (FI), and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) for the detailed analysis of vacuum gas oil distillation (VGO) cuts. 2DGC separates petroleum molecules by the combination of boiling point and polarity. FI generates molecule ions-only mass spectra. TOF MS allows accurate mass analysis of hydrocarbon molecules. A new data analysis strategy is implemented for compositional analysis. First, all masses were separated into nominal mass classes. Since petroleum homologues have unique Kendrick mass defects (KMD), KMD plots were generated for easy recognition of homologues series within each nominal mass class. Finally, KMD windows were imposed for complete resolution of petroleum molecules. Using this approach, a total of 16 hydrocarbon types, 14 sulfur types, and their carbon number distributions were determined in the three VGO distillation cuts. Two series of geological biomarkers were also revealed by the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuangnan Qian
- ExxonMobil Research Engineering Company, 1545 Route 22 East, Annandale, NJ, 08801, USA.
| | - Frank C Wang
- ExxonMobil Research Engineering Company, 1545 Route 22 East, Annandale, NJ, 08801, USA
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9
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Danforth C, McPartland J, Blotevogel J, Coleman N, Devlin D, Olsgard M, Parkerton T, Saunders N. Alternative Management of Oil and Gas Produced Water Requires More Research on Its Hazards and Risks. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2019; 15:677-682. [PMID: 30994242 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Produced water is the largest waste stream associated with oil and gas exploration and production operations. Most produced water generated onshore is managed by permitted injection in deep underground wells, but alternative disposal options including reuse are increasingly being considered. However, insufficient understanding of the composition and toxicity of produced water imposes significant constraints on effective management of potential short-term and long-term risks associated with such alternative uses. As interest builds for management options, such as surface discharge, livestock watering, irrigation, and other industrial uses, research is needed to assess produced-water hazards and exposures to both humans and the environment. This challenge affords an opportunity to capitalize on emerging risk assessment tools. Innovative and comprehensive approaches to filling data gaps and assessing produced water risks will be imperative. A group of experts from industry, academia, and government were assembled to define research needs to support objective decision making on the acceptability, or lack thereof, of produced water disposal alternatives. Presented here are key outcomes from that workshop and recommendations for a research framework to assess toxicity of produced water and associated risks from above ground discharge and reuse options. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;15:677-682. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jens Blotevogel
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Nancy Coleman
- Environmental Consultants, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | - Mandy Olsgard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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10
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Comparison of Pre-Processing and Variable Selection Strategies in Group-Based GC×GC-TOFMS Analysis. SEPARATIONS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/separations6030041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemometric analysis of comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) data has been reported with various workflows, yet little effort has been devoted to evaluating the impacts of workflow variation on study conclusions. The report presented herein aims to investigate the effects of different pre-processing and variable selection strategies on the scores’ plot outputs from GC×GC-TOFMS data acquired from lavender and tea tree essential oils. Our results suggest that pre-processing, such as applying log transformation to the data set, can result in significant differentiation of sample clustering when compared to only mean centering. Additionally, exploring differences between analysis of variance, Fisher-ratio, and partial least squares-discriminant analysis feature selection resulted in little variation in scores plots. This work highlights the effects different chemometric workflows can have on results to help facilitate harmonization efforts.
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11
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Weggler BA, Gruber B, Dorman FL. Rapid Screening of Complex Matrices: Utilizing Kendrick Mass Defect To Enhance Knowledge-Based Group Type Evaluation of Multidimensional Gas Chromatography–High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Data. Anal Chem 2019; 91:10949-10954. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt A. Weggler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- MolSys—Organic and Biological Analytical Chemistry Group, University of Liège, Quartier Agora, Place du Six Août 11, B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Beate Gruber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Research Instiute for Chromatography, President Kennedypark 26, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Frank L. Dorman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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12
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Bowman DT, Warren LA, McCarry BE, Slater GF. Profiling of individual naphthenic acids at a composite tailings reclamation fen by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 649:1522-1531. [PMID: 30308920 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are naturally occurring in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) and accumulate in tailings as a result of water-based extraction processes. NAs exist as a complex mixture, so the development of an analytical technique to characterize them has been an on-going challenge. The aim of this study was to use comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry to monitor individual NAs within a wetland reclamation site in the AOSR. Samples were collected from four monitoring wells at the site and the extracts were found to contain numerous resolved isomers of classical (monocyclic-, bicyclic-, adamantane-, indane-, and tetralin-type carboxylic acids) and sulfur-containing NAs (thiamonocyclic- and thiophene-type carboxylic acids). The absolute abundances of the monitored NAs were compared between four monitoring wells and unique profiles were observed at each well. Few significant changes in absolute abundances were observed over the sampling period, with the exception of one well (Well 6A). In addition, isomeric percent compositions were calculated for each set of structural isomers, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-dimensional hierarchical cluster analysis revealed high spatial variation at the site. However, consistent distributions were observed at each of the monitoring wells for some sets of NA isomers (such as: adamantane NAs), which may be useful for forensic applications, such as identifying sources of contamination or demonstrating biodegradation. The methods and results presented in this study demonstrate the utility of monitoring individual NAs, since both changes in absolute abundances of individual NAs and the distribution of NA isomers have the ability to provide insight into their sources and the processes controlling their concentrations that are not only of relevance to the Alberta Oil Sands, but also to other petroleum deposits and environmental systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Bowman
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton L8S 4M1, ON, Canada
| | - Lesley A Warren
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton L8S 4K1, ON, Canada; Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George St. Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Brian E McCarry
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton L8S 4M1, ON, Canada
| | - Gregory F Slater
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton L8S 4M1, ON, Canada; School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton L8S 4K1, ON, Canada.
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13
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Piotrowski PK, Tasker TL, Burgos WD, Dorman FL. Applications of thermal desorption coupled to comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry for hydrocarbon fingerprinting of hydraulically fractured shale rocks. J Chromatogr A 2018; 1579:99-105. [PMID: 30342786 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2018.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Development of shale gas resources through the use of hydraulic fracturing has raised a multitude of environmental concerns and motivated research towards the understanding of shale gas systems. Previous research has demonstrated the potential of utilizing hydrocarbon distributions towards the fingerprinting of a potential environmental contamination event arising from shale gas operations. However, to apply hydrocarbon distributions from shale gas wells towards point-source identification and apportionment, a better understanding of hydrocarbon origins must be achieved. Here we present an efficient and repeatable thermal desorption method, as a sample introduction methodology for GC × GC analysis of shale rock samples that results in comparable chromatograms to those produced by solvent extraction. This novel and robust characterization technique of shale cores from Marcellus and Utica formations by thermal desorption followed by GC × GC enables the understanding of hydrocarbon speciation within the native rock with minimal sample preparation time and solvent use. The detailed shale chemistry gives insight into utilizing hydrocarbon differences towards point-source identification methodologies of environmental contamination events associated with unconventional gas development. Additionally, this analytical technique may provide a more detailed analysis of hydrocarbons than what is currently implemented in the industry to pinpoint the most advantageous areas to exploit by hydraulic fracturing, yet avoiding undesirable areas such as those with a high abundance of sulfur containing compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina K Piotrowski
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Chemistry Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Travis L Tasker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - William D Burgos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Frank L Dorman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Lab, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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