Historical Assessments of Inorganic Pollutants in the Sinkhole Region of Winkler County, Texas, USA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the public water contamination levels of Winkler County, in West Texas. With water scarcity becoming more prevalent in arid climates like West Texas, it is important to ensure the water quality in these areas. The Dockum and Pecos Valley aquifers were analyzed for inorganic pollutants that could inhibit the water. The parameters such as copper, lead, arsenic, nitrate, chloride, and chromium level reports were provided from 1972 to 2018 to analyze and compare to other studies such as the ones conducted in the Midland/Odessa area. The results were compared to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety standards, and conclusions were made for the safety consumption of water within the county. We found that inorganic pollutants resulted mainly from the mobilization of the contaminant from anthropogenic activities such as chemical fertilizers, oil and gas developments. This research provides important information for inorganic pollutants in the sinkhole region of Winkler County and contributes to understanding the response to the aquifers. The significance of water quality in West Texas is now more important than ever to ensure that everyone has clean drinking water.

Hydrogeochemical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality Parameters for Ogallala Aquifer in the Southern High Plains Region, USA

“…The arid climate usually receives less than 10 inches (~250 mm) of precipitation in an entire year. In 2004, the annual total precipitation for the study area was 27 inches (~685 mm) [ 18 ]. When compared to average years, 2004 had more than double the amount of precipitation.…”

“…However, those concentrations could have also been from weathering, which can increase nitrate levels in water systems. If ingested at high levels, the nitrates will turn into nitrites, which are a more toxic form that could result in brain damage and other long-term effects [ 15 , 18 ].…”

“…In the past decade, hydraulic fracturing has become a beneficial technique for extracting oil and gas from reservoir rocks that have very low permeability and porosity [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of creating fractures by injecting fluids, mostly composed of water, sand, and chemicals, into reservoir rocks that lack porosity and permeability [ 16 ].…”

“…There have been numerous research studies into groundwater qualities and contaminations in Texas [ 2 , 3 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Some have been undertaken to evaluate the groundwater quality for Ogallala Aquifer in the Southern High Plains region after anthropogenic influences such as oil production or agriculture [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. However, few studies have monitored groundwater quality parameters in West Texas related to the High Plains regions.…”

Hydrogeological Characterization and Statistical Analysis for Ogallala Aquifer in the Southern High Plains Region, USA

“…In the past decade, hydraulic fracturing has become a beneficial technique in extracting oil and gas from reservoir rocks that have very low permeability and porosity [16][17][18]. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of creating fractures by injecting fluids, mostly composed of water, sand, and chemicals, in reservoir rocks that lack porosity and permeability [16].…”