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Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing has made the production of gas more economical. Shale gas possesses the potential to arise as a main natural gas source worldwide. It has been assessed that the top 42 countries, including the U.S., are predicted to own 7299 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of technically recoverable shale gas resources. The main goal of this paper is to serve as a guide of different shale gas extraction methods. The significance of these methods and possible pros and cons are determined. Each technique was explained with the support of literature review. Specifically, this paper revealed that some fracking methods such as pulsed arc electrohydraulic discharges (PAED), plasma stimulation and fracturing technology (PSF), thermal (cryogenic) fracturing, enhanced bacterial methanogenesis, and heating of rock mass are at the concept stage for conventional and other unconventional resources. Thus, these found to be significant for stimulating natural gas wells, which provides very good production results. This paper also discovered that fracking remains the recommended technique used by the oil and gas industries.
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Robert J, McGuire CC, Kim F, Nagel SC, Price SJ, Lawrence BP, De Jesús Andino F. Water Contaminants Associated With Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction Cause Immunotoxicity to Amphibian Tadpoles. Toxicol Sci 2019; 166:39-50. [PMID: 30011011 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemicals associated with unconventional oil and gas (UOG) operations have been shown to contaminate surface and ground water with a variety of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) inducing multiple developmental alteration in mice. However, little is known about the impacts of UOG-associated contaminants on amphibian health and resistance to an emerging ranavirus infectious disease caused by viruses in the genus Ranavirus, especially at the vulnerable tadpole stage. Here we used tadpoles of the amphibian Xenopus laevis and the ranavirus Frog virus 3 (FV3) as a model relevant to aquatic environment conservation research for investigating the immunotoxic effects of exposure to a mixture of 23 UOG-associated chemicals with EDC activity. Xenopus tadpoles were exposed to an equimass mixture of 23 UOG-associated chemicals (range from 0.1 to 10 µg/l) for 3 weeks prior to infection with FV3. Our data show that exposure to the UOG chemical mixture is toxic for tadpoles at ecological doses of 5 to 10 µg/l. Lower doses significantly altered homeostatic expression of myeloid lineage genes and compromised tadpole responses to FV3 through expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and Type I IFN genes, correlating with an increase in viral load. Exposure to a subset of 6 UOG chemicals was still sufficient to perturb the antiviral gene expression response. These findings suggest that UOG-associated water pollutants at low but environmentally relevant doses have the potential to induce acute alterations of immune function and antiviral immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology.,Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Connor C McGuire
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology.,Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Fayth Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Susan C Nagel
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Missouri, Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212
| | - Stephen J Price
- UCL Genetics Institute, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - B Paige Lawrence
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology.,Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642
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Shanafield M, Cook PG, Simmons CT. Towards Quantifying the Likelihood of Water Resource Impacts from Unconventional Gas Development. GROUND WATER 2019; 57:547-561. [PMID: 30159905 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gas production from unconventional reservoirs has led to widespread environmental concerns. Despite several excellent reviews of various potential impacts to water resources from unconventional gas production, no study has systematically and quantitatively assessed the potential for these impacts to occur. We use empirical evidence and numerical and analytical models to quantify the likelihood of surface water and groundwater contamination, and shallow aquifer depletion from unconventional gas developments. These likelihoods are not intended to be exact. They provide a starting point for comparing the probabilities of adverse impacts between types of water resources and pathways. This analysis provides much needed insight into what are "probable" rather than simply "possible" impacts. The results suggest that the most likely water resource impacts are surface water and groundwater contamination from spills at the well pad, which can be as high as 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 for each gas well, respectively. For wells that are hydraulically fractured, the likelihood of contamination due to inter-aquifer leakage is 1 in 106 or lower (dependent on the separation distance between the production formation and the aquifer). For gas-bearing formations that were initially over-pressurized, the potential for contamination from inter-aquifer leakage after production ceases could be as high as 1 in 400 where the separation between gas formation and shallow aquifer is 500 m, but will be much lower for greater separation distances (more characteristic of shale gas).
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Shanafield
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Peter G Cook
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Craig T Simmons
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Law
- PSE Healthy Energy, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Mkandawire-Valhmu L, Weitzel J, Dressel A, Neiman T, Hafez S, Olukotun O, Kreuziger S, Scheer V, Washington R, Hess A, Morgan S, Stevens P. Enhancing cultural safety among undergraduate nursing students through watching documentaries. Nurs Inq 2018; 26:e12270. [PMID: 30506988 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to develop an understanding of how nursing students gained perspective on nursing care of diverse populations through watching documentaries in a cultural diversity course. The basis of this paper is our analyses of students' written responses and reactions to documentaries viewed in class. The guiding theoretical frameworks for the course content and the study included postcolonial feminism, Foucauldian thought, and cultural safety. Krathwohl's Taxonomy of the Affective Domain was used to identify themes and determine how undergraduate nursing students were progressing in achieving learning outcomes. Our findings suggest that while the use of documentaries serves as a tool for deepening students' understanding of the realities of various populations, this activity, in the absence of critical reflection, may inadvertently promote stereotypes and further marginalize different people groups. Even though nursing students reflected on the importance of cultural safety in nursing, our findings indicate that their actions may not reflect this, especially since these students are in the early stages of the nursing program. Students need to be provided with a space where they can explore implicit biases evoked by exposure to new information about different people groups as a way of enhancing culturally safe care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer Weitzel
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Anne Dressel
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Tammy Neiman
- College of Allied Health & Nursing, Minnesota State University, Manako, Minnesota
| | - Shahad Hafez
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | | | - Suzanne Kreuziger
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Victoria Scheer
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Rosetta Washington
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Alexa Hess
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Sarah Morgan
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Patricia Stevens
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Effect of Injection Site on Fault Activation and Seismicity during Hydraulic Fracturing. ENERGIES 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/en10101619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abstract
The evidence on public health regulation of the unconventional gas extraction (fracking) industry was examined using a rapid evidence assessment of fifteen case studies from multiple countries. They included scientific and academic papers, professional reports, government agency reports, industry and industry-funded reports, and a nongovernment organization report. Each case study review was structured to address strengths and weaknesses of the publication in relation to our research questions. Some case studies emphasized inherent industry short-, medium-, and long-term dangers to public health directly and through global climate change impacts. Other case studies argued that fracking could be conducted safely assuming industry best practice, "robust" regulation, and mitigation, but the evidence base for such statements proved generally sparse. U.K. regulators' own assessments on fracking regulation are also evaluated. The existing evidence points to the necessity of a precautionary approach to protect public health from unconventional gas extraction development.
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