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Saby M, van Hinsberg V, Pinti DL, Berlo K, Gautason B, Sigurðardóttir Á, Brown K, Rocher O. The behaviour of metals in deep fluids of NE Iceland. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21952. [PMID: 36536021 PMCID: PMC9763496 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26028-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, we present some of the first data on the elemental signature of deep crustal fluids in a basalt-hosted, low-chloride magmatic-hydrothermal system. Down-hole fluid samples (850-1600 m) from wells in the Theistareykir and Krafla geothermal fields in the Northern Volcanic Zone of Iceland were combined with well-head samples of condensed vapor, cuttings of altered rock, and fresh basalt (being some of the first concentration data for volatile and semi-volatile elements (Sb, Tl, Bi, Cd and As) for this area of Iceland). Results show that the deep fluids are relatively enriched in base metals and (semi)-volatile metals (in particular Te, Hg, Re and Tl) compared to local basalt. We interpret this enrichment in volatile metals to reflect a significant element input from magma degassing. Boiling of this deep fluid results in a well-head fluid composition that is significantly depleted in most elements. This well-head fluid has a distinct elemental signature, including a depletion in Sb that is mirrored in the altered rocks, and a depletion in the base metals that shows their selective sequestration in scale minerals, likely sulphides. As expected, the element content and patterns in surface fluids can thus not be interpreted to directly reflect that of the deep reservoir fluid. The behaviour of elements in Theistareykir and Krafla fluids is consistent, and largely agrees with similar data obtained for the Reykjanes geothermal system in SW Iceland. We therefore posit that our results are representative for this geological setting and indicate a significant magmatic degassing cation input to deep fluids, variably modified by water-rock interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Saby
- grid.38678.320000 0001 2181 0211GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l’atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8 Canada
| | - Vincent van Hinsberg
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649GEOTOP and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, 34, University Street, Montréal, Canada
| | - Daniele L. Pinti
- grid.38678.320000 0001 2181 0211GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l’atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8 Canada
| | - Kim Berlo
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649GEOTOP and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, 34, University Street, Montréal, Canada
| | - Bjarni Gautason
- grid.435727.00000 0001 1939 3674ÍSOR Iceland GeoSurvey, Orkugardur, Grensásvegur 9, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Kevin Brown
- Geokem, P.O. Box 30-125, Barrington, Christchurch, 8244 New Zealand
| | - Océane Rocher
- grid.29172.3f0000 0001 2194 6418GeoRessources - UMR 7359, Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy, France
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Ma X, Ma Y, Zhang L, Sajjad W, Xu W, Shao Y, Pinti DL, Fan Q, Zheng G. Seasonal variations of geofluids from mud volcano systems in the Southern Junggar Basin, NW China. Sci Total Environ 2022; 844:157164. [PMID: 35798106 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Variations in the chemical composition of geofluids and of gas fluxes are significant parameters for understanding mud volcanism and correctly estimate their emissions in carbon species, particularly greenhouse gas, methane. In this study, muddy water and gas samples were collected from the Anjihai, Dushanzi, Aiqigou, and Baiyanggou mud volcanoes in the southern Junggar Basin during the four seasons, around a year. This region hosts the most active mud volcanism throughout China. Gas and water were analyzed for major molecular compositions, carbon and hydrogen isotopes of the gas phase, as well as cations and anions, hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of water. The emitted gases are dominated by CH4 with some C2H6, CO2, and N2. The seasonal changes in the chemical composition and carbon isotopes of emitted gases are not significant, whereas clear variations in the amounts of cations and anions dissolved in the water are reported. These are higher in spring and summer than autumn and winter. The CH4, CO2, and C2H6 fluxes are 157.3-1108 kg/a, 1.8-390.1 kg/a, and 10.2-118.7 kg/a, respectively, and a clear seasonal trend of the gas seepage flux has been observed. In January, the macro-seepage flux of open vents is ≥65 % higher than in April, whereas the micro-seepage flux significantly decreased, probably due to the frozen shallow ground and blockage of soil fractures around the vents by heavy snow and ice during January. This probably causes an extra gas pressure transferred to the major vents, resulting in higher flux of the macro-seepage in the cold season. However, the total flux of the whole mud volcano system is generally consistent around a year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxian Ma
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yong Ma
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wasim Sajjad
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wang Xu
- College of Energy Resources, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
| | - Yuanyuan Shao
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Daniele L Pinti
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal H3C 3P8, QC, Canada
| | - Qiaohui Fan
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guodong Zheng
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China; School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences at Wuhan, Wuhan 430074, China.
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Abstract
Natural diamonds contain mineral and fluid inclusions that record diamond growth conditions. Replicating the growth of inclusion-bearing diamonds in a laboratory is therefore a novel diagnostic tool to constrain the conditions of diamond formation in Earth's lithosphere. By determining the carbon isotopic fractionation during diamond growth in fluids or melts, our laboratory experiments revealed that lithospheric monocrystalline and fibrous and coated diamonds grow similarly from redox reactions at isotopic equilibrium in water and carbonate-rich fluids or melts, and not from native carbon. These new results explain why most of the lithospheric diamonds are characterized by a common carbon isotopic fingerprint, inherited from their common parent fluids and not from the mantle assemblage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Bureau
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, IRD UR 206, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Laurent Remusat
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, IRD UR 206, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Imène Esteve
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, IRD UR 206, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Daniele L. Pinti
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l’atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Pierre Cartigny
- LGIS, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université D. Diderot, UMR CNRS 7154, Paris, France
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Wen T, Castro MC, Nicot JP, Hall CM, Pinti DL, Mickler P, Darvari R, Larson T. Characterizing the Noble Gas Isotopic Composition of the Barnett Shale and Strawn Group and Constraining the Source of Stray Gas in the Trinity Aquifer, North-Central Texas. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:6533-6541. [PMID: 28486811 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b06447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the complete set of stable noble gases for Barnett Shale and Strawn Group production gas together with stray flowing gas in the Trinity Aquifer, Texas. It places new constraints on the source of this stray gas and further shows that Barnett and Strawn gas have distinct crustal and atmospheric noble gas signatures, allowing clear identification of these two sources. Like stray gas, Strawn gas is significantly more enriched in crustal 4He*, 21Ne*, and 40Ar* than Barnett gas. The similarity of Strawn and stray gas crustal noble gas signatures suggests that the Strawn is the source of stray gas in the Trinity Aquifer. Atmospheric 22Ne/36Ar ratios of stray gas mimic also that of Strawn, further reinforcing the notion that the source of stray gas in this aquifer is the Strawn. While noble gas signatures of Strawn and stray gas are consistent with a single-stage water degassing model, a two-stage oil modified groundwater exsolution fractionation model is required to explain the light atmospheric noble gas signature of Barnett Shale production gas. These distinct Strawn and Barnett noble gas signatures are likely the reflection of distinct evolution histories with Strawn gas being possibly older than that of Barnett Shale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wen
- University of Michigan , Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1005, United States
| | - M Clara Castro
- University of Michigan , Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1005, United States
| | - Jean-Philippe Nicot
- University of Texas at Austin , Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, Texas 78713-8924, United States
| | - Chris M Hall
- University of Michigan , Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1005, United States
| | - Daniele L Pinti
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphére, Université du Québec á Montréal , succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Quebec CP8888, Canada
| | - Patrick Mickler
- University of Texas at Austin , Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, Texas 78713-8924, United States
| | - Roxana Darvari
- University of Texas at Austin , Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, Texas 78713-8924, United States
| | - Toti Larson
- University of Texas at Austin , Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, Texas 78713-8924, United States
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Saby M, Larocque M, Pinti DL, Barbecot F, Gagné S, Barnetche D, Cabana H. Regional assessment of concentrations and sources of pharmaceutically active compounds, pesticides, nitrate, and E. coli in post-glacial aquifer environments (Canada). Sci Total Environ 2017; 579:557-568. [PMID: 27871751 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
There is growing concern worldwide about the exposure of groundwater resources to pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and agricultural contaminants, such as pesticides, nitrate, and Escherichia coli. For regions with a low population density and an abundance of water, regional contamination assessments are not carried out systematically due to the typically low concentrations and high costs of analyses. The objectives of this study were to evaluate regional-scale contaminant distributions in untreated groundwater in a rural region of Quebec (Canada). The geological and hydrogeological settings of this region are typical of post-glacial regions around the world, where groundwater flow can be complex due to heterogeneous geological conditions. A new spatially distributed Anthropogenic Footprint Index (AFI), based on land use data, was developed to assess surface pollution risks. The Hydrogeochemical Vulnerability Index (HVI) was computed to estimate aquifer vulnerability. Nine wells had detectable concentrations of one to four of the 13 tested PhACs, with a maximum concentration of 116ng·L-1 for benzafibrate. A total of 34 of the 47 tested pesticides were detected in concentrations equal to or greater than the detection limit, with a maximum total pesticide concentration of 692ng·L-1. Nitrate concentrations exceeded 1mg·L-1 N-NO3 in 15.3% of the wells, and the Canadian drinking water standard was exceeded in one well. Overall, 13.5% of the samples had detectable E. coli. Including regional-scale sources of pollutants to the assessment of aquifer vulnerability with the AFI did not lead to the identification of contaminated wells, due to the short groundwater flow paths between recharge and the sampled wells. Given the occurrence of contaminants, the public health concerns stemming from these new data on regional-scale PhAC and pesticide concentrations, and the local flow conditions observed in post-glacial terrains, there is a clear need to investigate the sources and behaviours of local-scale pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Saby
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP8888 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Marie Larocque
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP8888 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniele L Pinti
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP8888 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Florent Barbecot
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP8888 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvain Gagné
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP8888 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Diogo Barnetche
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP8888 succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hubert Cabana
- Département de génie civil, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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Berthot L, Pinti DL, Larocque M, Gagné S, Ferlatte M, Cloutier V. Exploring 222Rn as a tool for tracing groundwater inflows from eskers and moraines into slope peatlands of the Amos region of Quebec, Canada. J Environ Radioact 2016; 164:344-353. [PMID: 27552658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Peatlands can play an important role in the hydrological dynamics of a watershed. However, interactions between groundwater and peat water remain poorly understood. Here, we present results of an exploratory study destined to test radon (222Rn) as a potential tracer of groundwater inflows from fluvioglacial landform aquifers to slope peatlands in the Amos region of Quebec, Canada. 222Rn occurs in groundwater but is expected to be absent from peat water because of its rapid degassing to the atmosphere. Any 222Rn activity detected in peat water should therefore derive from groundwater inflow. 222Rn activity was measured in groundwater from municipal, domestic wells and newly drilled and instrumented piezometers from the Saint-Mathieu-Berry and Barraute eskers (n = 9), from the Harricana Moraine (n = 4), and from the fractured bedrock (n = 3). Forty measurements of 222Rn activity were made from piezometers installed in five slope peatlands, along six transects oriented perpendicular to the fluvioglacial deposits. The relationship between 222Rn and total dissolved solids (TDS) measured in water from the mineral deposits underlying the peat layer suggests that 222Rn is introduced by lateral inflow from eskers and moraine together with salinity. This input is then diluted by peat water, depleted in both TDS and 222Rn. The fact that a relationship between TDS and 222Rn is visible calls for a continuous inflow of groundwater from lateral eskers/moraines, being 222Rn rapidly removed from the system by radioactive decay. Although more research is required to improve the sampling and tracing techniques, this work shows the potential of 222Rn tracer to identify groundwater inflow areas from granular aquifers found in eskers and moraines to slope peatlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laureline Berthot
- GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Daniele L Pinti
- GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada.
| | - Marie Larocque
- GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Sylvain Gagné
- GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Miryane Ferlatte
- GEOTOP and Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Vincent Cloutier
- Groundwater Research Group, Research Institute on Mines and the Environment, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Campus d'Amos, 341, rue Principale Nord, Suite 5004, Amos, QC J9T 2L8, Canada
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7
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Pinti DL, Gelinas Y, Moritz AM, Larocque M, Sano Y. Anthropogenic and natural methane emissions from a shale gas exploration area of Quebec, Canada. Sci Total Environ 2016; 566-567:1329-1338. [PMID: 27267724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The increasing number of studies on the determination of natural methane in groundwater of shale gas prospection areas offers a unique opportunity for refining the quantification of natural methane emissions. Here methane emissions, computed from four potential sources, are reported for an area of ca. 16,500km(2) of the St. Lawrence Lowlands, Quebec (Canada), where Utica shales are targeted by the petroleum industry. Methane emissions can be caused by 1) groundwater degassing as a result of groundwater abstraction for domestic and municipal uses; 2) groundwater discharge along rivers; 3) migration to the surface by (macro- and micro-) diffuse seepage; 4) degassing of hydraulic fracturing fluids during first phases of drilling. Methane emissions related to groundwater discharge to rivers (2.47×10(-4) to 9.35×10(-3)Tgyr(-1)) surpass those of diffuse seepage (4.13×10(-6) to 7.14×10(-5)Tgyr(-1)) and groundwater abstraction (6.35×10(-6) to 2.49×10(-4)Tgyr(-1)). The methane emission from the degassing of flowback waters during drilling of the Utica shale over a 10- to 20-year horizon is estimated from 2.55×10(-3) to 1.62×10(-2)Tgyr(-1). These emissions are from one third to sixty-six times the methane emissions from groundwater discharge to rivers. This study shows that different methane emission sources need to be considered in environmental assessments of methane exploitation projects to better understand their impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele L Pinti
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 1P8, Canada.
| | - Yves Gelinas
- GEOTOP and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Anja M Moritz
- GEOTOP and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Marie Larocque
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 1P8, Canada
| | - Yuji Sano
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan; Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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Moritz A, Hélie JF, Pinti DL, Larocque M, Barnetche D, Retailleau S, Lefebvre R, Gélinas Y. Methane baseline concentrations and sources in shallow aquifers from the shale gas-prone region of the St. Lawrence lowlands (Quebec, Canada). Environ Sci Technol 2015; 49:4765-4771. [PMID: 25751654 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing is becoming an important technique worldwide to recover hydrocarbons from unconventional sources such as shale gas. In Quebec (Canada), the Utica Shale has been identified as having unconventional gas production potential. However, there has been a moratorium on shale gas exploration since 2010. The work reported here was aimed at defining baseline concentrations of methane in shallow aquifers of the St. Lawrence Lowlands and its sources using δ(13)C methane signatures. Since this study was performed prior to large-scale fracturing activities, it provides background data prior to the eventual exploitation of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing. Groundwater was sampled from private (n = 81), municipal (n = 34), and observation (n = 15) wells between August 2012 and May 2013. Methane was detected in 80% of the wells with an average concentration of 3.8 ± 8.8 mg/L, and a range of <0.0006 to 45.9 mg/L. Methane concentrations were linked to groundwater chemistry and distance to the major faults in the studied area. The methane δ(1)(3)C signature of 19 samples was > -50‰, indicating a potential thermogenic source. Localized areas of high methane concentrations from predominantly biogenic sources were found throughout the study area. In several samples, mixing, migration, and oxidation processes likely affected the chemical and isotopic composition of the gases, making it difficult to pinpoint their origin. Energy companies should respect a safe distance from major natural faults in the bedrock when planning the localization of hydraulic fracturation activities to minimize the risk of contaminating the surrounding groundwater since natural faults are likely to be a preferential migration pathway for methane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Moritz
- †GEOTOP and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, Québec, Canada, H4B 1R6
| | - Jean-Francois Hélie
- ‡GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8
| | - Daniele L Pinti
- ‡GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8
| | - Marie Larocque
- ‡GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8
| | - Diogo Barnetche
- ‡GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8
| | - Sophie Retailleau
- ‡GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8
| | - René Lefebvre
- §INRS-ETE, 490 de la Couronne, Québec, Québec, Canada, G1K 9A9
| | - Yves Gélinas
- †GEOTOP and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, Québec, Canada, H4B 1R6
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9
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Pinti DL, Retailleau S, Barnetche D, Moreira F, Moritz AM, Larocque M, Gélinas Y, Lefebvre R, Hélie JF, Valadez A. (222)Rn activity in groundwater of the St. Lawrence Lowlands, Quebec, eastern Canada: relation with local geology and health hazard. J Environ Radioact 2014; 136:206-217. [PMID: 24973780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
One hundred ninety-eight groundwater wells were sampled to measure the (222)Rn activity in the region between Montreal and Quebec City, eastern Canada. The aim of this study was to relate the spatial distribution of (222)Rn activity to the geology and the hydrogeology of the study area and to estimate the potential health risks associated with (222)Rn in the most populated area of the Province of Quebec. Most of the groundwater samples show low (222)Rn activities with a median value of 8.6 Bq/L. Ninety percent of samples show (222)Rn activity lower than 100 Bq/L, the exposure limit in groundwater recommended by the World Health Organization. A few higher (222)Rn activities (up to 310 Bq/L) have been measured in wells from the Appalachian Mountains and from the magmatic intrusion of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, known for its high level of indoor radon. The spatial distribution of (222)Rn activity seems to be related mainly to lithology differences between U-richer metasediments of the Appalachian Mountains and magmatic intrusions and the carbonaceous silty shales of the St. Lawrence Platform. Radon is slightly enriched in sodium-chlorine waters that evolved at contact with clay-rich formations. (226)Ra, the parent element of (222)Rn could be easily adsorbed on clays, creating a favorable environment for the production and release of (222)Rn into groundwater. The contribution of groundwater radon to indoor radon or by ingestion is minimal except for specific areas near Mont-Saint-Hilaire or in the Appalachian Mountains where this contribution could reach 45% of the total radioactive annual dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele L Pinti
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Sophie Retailleau
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Diogo Barnetche
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Floriane Moreira
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Anja M Moritz
- GEOTOP and Department of Chemistry and Biogeochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, H4B 1R6 Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie Larocque
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Gélinas
- GEOTOP and Department of Chemistry and Biogeochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, H4B 1R6 Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - René Lefebvre
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement (INRS-ETE), 490 rue de la Couronne, G1K 9A9 QC, Canada
| | - Jean-François Hélie
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Arisai Valadez
- GEOTOP and Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada
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