Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Spreading Oil and Gas Wastewater on Roads

Abstract

Thirteen states in the United States allow the spreading of O&G wastewaters on roads for deicing or dust suppression. In this study, the potential environmental and human health impacts of this practice are evaluated. Analyses of O&G wastewaters spread on roads in the northeastern, U.S. show that these wastewaters have salt, radioactivity, and organic contaminant concentrations often many times above drinking water standards. Bioassays also indicated that these wastewaters contain organic micropollutants that affected signaling pathways consistent with xenobiotic metabolism and caused toxicity to aquatic organisms like Daphnia magna. The potential toxicity of these wastewaters is a concern as lab experiments demonstrated that nearly all of the metals from these wastewaters leach from roads after rain events, likely reaching ground and surface water. Release of a known carcinogen (e.g., radium) from roads treated with O&G wastewaters has been largely ignored. In Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2014, spreading O&G wastewater on roads released over 4 times more radium to the environment (320 millicuries) than O&G wastewater treatment facilities and 200 times more radium than spill events. Currently, state-by-state regulations do not require radium analyses prior to treating roads with O&G wastewaters. Methods for reducing the potential impacts of spreading O&G wastewaters on roads are discussed.

Investigation of the applicability of TiO2, BiVO4, and WO3 nanomaterials for advanced photocatalytic membranes used for oil‐in‐water emulsion separation

“…Oil contaminations can reduce the bacterial activity of soils and also the plant growth by affecting the root elongation and germination 10,11 . Concerning animals and human beings, some oil contaminations can damage the DNA and produce genotoxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects; moreover, many of these compounds are persistent and can accumulate through the food chain 12–14 …”

Advanced Bioreactor Treatments of Hydrocarbon-Containing Wastewater

“…Most toxic components, for example, alkylphenols and PAHs, from produced water can accumulate in phyto-and zooplankton populations, thus transmitted through the food chain to higher marine organisms and affect their vital functions [8]. Also, salinization of freshwater resources leads to increasing chloride and sodium concentrations, which could have toxic effects on fish, macroinvertebrates, amphibians and other salinity-intolerant species [28].…”

Photocatalytic membrane filtration and its advantages over conventional approaches in the treatment of oily wastewater: A review

“…Soils can also be affected by oil contamination, reducing bacterial activity, killing earthworms, reducing plant growth, affecting root elongation, and germination, 37 which also affects crop production and groundwater quality 4,5 . In relation to animals and human beings, effects of oil contamination can range from acute symptoms to chronic diseases, and by the accumulation in food chain, it can cause DNA damage, genotoxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects, where the possible consequences include allergies, respiratory problems, autoimmune disorders, spontaneous abortion, or even cancer 34,38,39 . There are regrettable examples, where nature has been severely damaged by years of oil contamination, and most of the population has been constantly exposed to crude oil through the water, air, and soil, and the number of degenerative diseases increased and life expectancy decreased 34,40 .…”