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Du Y, Xiong Y, Deng Y, Tao Y, Tian H, Zhang Y, Li Q, Gan Y, Wang Y. Geogenic Phosphorus Enrichment in Groundwater due to Anaerobic Methane Oxidation-Coupled Fe(III) Oxide Reduction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8032-8042. [PMID: 38670935 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Accumulation of geogenic phosphorus (P) in groundwater is an emerging environmental concern, which is closely linked to coupled processes involving FeOOH and organic matter under methanogenic conditions. However, it remains unclear how P enrichment is associated with methane cycling, particularly the anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO). This study conducted a comprehensive investigation of carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), CO2, and CH4, alongside Fe isotopes, microbial communities, and functions in quaternary aquifers of the central Yangtze River plain. The study found that P concentrations tended to increase with Fe(II) concentrations, δ56Fe, and δ13C-DIC, suggesting P accumulation due to the reductive dissolution of FeOOH under methanogenic conditions. The positive correlations of pmoA gene abundance versus δ13C-CH4 and Fe concentrations versus δ13C-CH4, and the prevalent presence of Candidatus_Methanoperedens, jointly demonstrated the potential significance of Fe(III)-mediated AMO process (Fe-AMO) alongside traditional methanogenesis. The increase of P concentration with δ13C-CH4 value, pmoA gene abundance, and Fe concentration suggested that the Fe-AMO process facilitated P enrichment in groundwater. Redundancy analysis confirmed this assertion, identifying P concentration as the primary determinant and the cooperative influence of Fe-AMO microorganisms such as Candidatus_Methanoperedens and Geobacter on P enrichment. Our work provided new insights into P dynamics in subsurface environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Du
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yaojin Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yamin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yanqiu Tao
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Hao Tian
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yanpeng Zhang
- Wuhan Center of China Geological Survey, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Qinghua Li
- Wuhan Center of China Geological Survey, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Yiqun Gan
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yanxin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health (China University of Geosciences), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430078, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, Wuhan 430078, China
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Li Q, Bu Q, Liu Q, Wang X, Zhao R, Huang H, Wang D, Yang L, Tang J. Depth-dependent variations of physicochemical properties of sedimentary dissolved organic matter and the influence on the elimination of typical pharmaceuticals. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170432. [PMID: 38281635 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170432] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Sedimentary dissolved organic matter (DOM) could exert a significant influence on the transformation of trace organic contaminants. However, the variations of sedimentary DOM properties with depth and their impact on trace organic contaminants biodegradation remain unclear. In this study, the qualitative changes in DOM properties with depth were assessed using spectral techniques. Specifically, within the sediment range of 0-30 cm, humic acid and fulvic acid fractions exhibited higher degrees of humification and aromatization at 10-20 cm, while hydrophilic fractions showed higher degrees of humification and aromatization at 20-30 cm. Furthermore, electrochemical methods were employed to quantitatively assess the electron transfer capacity of sedimentary DOM at different depths, which displayed consistent variation trend with humification and aromatization degree. The high degree of humification and aromatization, along with strong electron-accepting capability of DOM, significantly enhanced the biodegradation rates of tetracycline and ritonavir. To gain deeper insights into the influence of molecular composition of DOM on its properties, two-dimensional gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry analysis revealed that quinones and phenolic hydroxyl compounds govern the redox reactivity of DOM. Simulated experiment of DOM-mediated biodegradation of typical pharmaceuticals confirmed the role of quinones and phenolic hydroxyl groups in the redox reactivity of DOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingshan Li
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology - Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Qingwei Bu
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology - Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China.
| | - Quanzhen Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology - Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Ruiqing Zhao
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology - Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Haitao Huang
- School of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology - Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Donghong Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China
| | - Lei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China
| | - Jianfeng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, PR China
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Tian H, Du Y, Deng Y, Sun X, Xu J, Gan Y, Wang Y. Identification of methane cycling pathways in Quaternary alluvial-lacustrine aquifers using multiple isotope and microbial indicators. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 250:121027. [PMID: 38113595 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.121027] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater rich in dissolved methane is often overlooked in the global or regional carbon cycle. Considering the knowledge gap in understanding the biogeochemical behavior of methane in shallow aquifers, particularly those in humid alluvial-lacustrine plains with high organic carbon content, we investigated methane sources and cycling pathways in groundwater systems at the central Yangtze River basins. Composition of multiple stable isotopes (2H/18O in water, 13C in dissolved inorganic carbon, 13C/2H in methane, and 13C in carbon dioxide) was combined with the characteristics of microbes and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the study. The results revealed significant concentrations of biogenic methane reaching up to 13.05 mg/L in anaerobic groundwater environments with abundant organic matter. Different pathways for methane cycling (methanogenic CO2-reduction and acetate-fermentation, and methane oxidation) were identified. CO2-reduction dominated acetate-fermentation in the two methanogenic pathways primarily associated with humic DOM, while methane oxidation was more closely associated with microbially derived DOM. The abundance of obligate CO2-reduction microorganisms (Methanobacterium and Methanoregula) was higher in samples with substantial CO2-reduction, as indicated by isotopic composition. The obligate acetate-fermentation microorganism (Methanosaeta) was more abundant in samples exhibiting evident acetate-fermentation. Additionally, a high abundance of Candidatus Methanoperedens was identified in samples with apparent methane oxidation. Comparing our findings with those in other areas, we found that various factors, such as groundwater temperature, DOM abundance and types, and hydrogeological conditions, may lead to differences in groundwater methane cycling. This study offered a new perspective and understanding of methane cycling in worldwide shallow alluvial-lacustrine aquifer systems without geothermal disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Tian
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yao Du
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China.
| | - Yamin Deng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Xiaoliang Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Jiawen Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yiqun Gan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Yanxin Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Quality and Health, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; School of Environmental Studies, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
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Dang Q, Zhao X, Li Y, Xi B. Revisiting the biological pathway for methanogenesis in landfill from metagenomic perspective-A case study of county-level sanitary landfill of domestic waste in North China plain. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 222:115185. [PMID: 36586711 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Landfill is the third highest contributor to anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions, produced primarily by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by microbes. However, how various microbial metabolic processes contribute to CH4 production in domestic waste landfill remains elusive. We addressed this problem by investigating the methanogenic communities, methanogenic functional genes, KEGG modules and KEGG pathways in a county-level MSW sanitary landfill in North China Plain, China. Results showed that Methanomicrobiales, Methanobacteriales, Methanosarcinales, Micrococcales, Corynebacteriales and Bacillales were the dominant methanogens. M00357, M00346, M00567 and M00563 were the four major methane metabolic modules. The most abundant genes were ACSS, ackA and fwd with the relative abundance of 19.26-54.54%, 6.14-25.78% and 6.76-16.51%, respectively. The two essential genes of methanogenesis were detected with the relative abundance of 2.66-9.58% (mtr) and 1.63-9.14% (mcr). These findings indicated that acetotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis were the major pathways. Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales and Clostridiales were the key microbes to these pathways identified by co-occurrence network. Analysis of relative contribution of species to function further showed that Micrococcales, Corynebacteriales and Bacillales were special contributors to acetotrophic methanogenesis pathway. Redundancy analysis revealed that above functional genes and microbes were mainly controlled by NH4+ and pH. Our results can help to provide develop the fine management strategies for methane utilization and emission reduction in landfill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuling Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Hazardous Waste Identification and Risk Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Hazardous Waste Identification and Risk Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Yanping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Hazardous Waste Identification and Risk Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Beidou Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
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Lackey G, Pfander I, Gardiner J, Sherwood OA, Rajaram H, Ryan JN, Dilmore RM, Thomas B. Composition and Origin of Surface Casing Fluids in a Major US Oil- and Gas-Producing Region. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:17227-17235. [PMID: 36379467 PMCID: PMC9731267 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fluids leaked from oil and gas wells often originate from their surface casing─a steel pipe installed beneath the deepest underlying source of potable groundwater that serves as the final barrier around the well system. In this study, we analyze a regulatory dataset of surface casing geochemical samples collected from 2573 wells in northeastern Colorado─the only known publicly available dataset of its kind. Thermogenic gas was present in the surface casings of 96.2% of wells with gas samples. Regulatory records indicate that 73.3% of these wells were constructed to isolate the formation from which the gas originated with cement. This suggests that gas migration into the surface casing annulus predominantly occurs through compromised barriers (e.g., steel casings or cement seals), indicative of extensive integrity issues in the region. Water was collected from 22.6% of sampled surface casings. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were detected in 99.7% of surface casing water samples tested for these compounds, which may be due to the presence of leaked oil, natural gas condensate, or oil-based drilling mud. Our findings demonstrate the value of incorporating surface casing geochemical analysis in well integrity monitoring programs to identify integrity issues and focus leak mitigation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Lackey
- National
Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, P.O. Box
10940, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15236-0940, United States
- NETL
Support
Contractor, 626 Cochrans
Mill Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15236, United States
| | - Isabelle Pfander
- National
Energy Technology Laboratory, 1450 Queen Avenue SW, Albany, Oregon97321, United
States
- NETL Support
Contractor, 1450 Queen
Avenue SW, Albany, Oregon97321, United States
| | - James Gardiner
- National
Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, P.O. Box
10940, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15236-0940, United States
- NETL
Support
Contractor, 626 Cochrans
Mill Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15236, United States
| | - Owen A. Sherwood
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dalhousie
University, Halifax, Nova ScotiaB3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Harihar Rajaram
- Department
of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland21205, United States
| | - Joseph N. Ryan
- Department
of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Robert M. Dilmore
- National
Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, P.O. Box
10940, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15236-0940, United States
| | - Burt Thomas
- National
Energy Technology Laboratory, 1450 Queen Avenue SW, Albany, Oregon97321, United
States
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6
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Shaheen SW, Wen T, Herman A, Brantley SL. Geochemical Evidence of Potential Groundwater Contamination with Human Health Risks Where Hydraulic Fracturing Overlaps with Extensive Legacy Hydrocarbon Extraction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:10010-10019. [PMID: 35767873 PMCID: PMC9302435 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) sometimes impacts water resources, including incidents of methane (CH4) migration from compromised wells and spills that degrade water with salts, organics, and metals. We hypothesized that contamination may be more common where UOGD overlaps with legacy coal, oil, and gas extraction. We tested this hypothesis on ∼7000 groundwater analyses from the largest U.S. shale gas play (Marcellus), using data mining techniques to explore UOGD contamination frequency. Corroborating the hypothesis, we discovered small, statistically significant regional correlations between groundwater chloride concentrations ([Cl]) and UOGD proximity and density where legacy extraction was extremely dense (southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA)) but no such correlations where it was minimal (northeastern Pennsylvania). On the other hand, legacy extraction of shallow gas in SWPA may have lessened today's gas leakage, as no regional correlation was detected for [CH4] in SWPA. We identify hotspots where [Cl] and [CH4] increase by 3.6 and 3.0 mg/L, respectively, per UOG well drilled in SWPA. If the [Cl] correlations document contamination via brines leaked from wellbores, impoundments, or spills, we calculate that thallium concentrations could exceed EPA limits in the most densely developed hotspots, thus posing a potential human health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel W. Shaheen
- Department
of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Tao Wen
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Syracuse
University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States
| | - Alison Herman
- Earth
and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania
State University, University
Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Susan L. Brantley
- Department
of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Earth
and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania
State University, University
Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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