Incubation with moist top soils enhances solubilization of radium and other components from oil-field scale and sludge: Environmental concerns from Mississippi

Matthews, John C.; Li, Shuanglian; Swann, Charles T.; Ericksen, Rick L.

doi:10.1306/eg.11160404037

“… Frenkel et al [1989] observed that this phenomenon can continue until all gypsum is dissolved or until all available exchange sites become occupied by calcium. Cation‐exchange‐enhanced dissolution of minerals has also been observed for barite [ Matthews et al , 2006; Eberl and Landa , 1985], celestite [ Eberl and Landa , 1985], and apatite [ Lai and Eberl , 1986].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infiltration from an impoundment for coal‐bed natural gas, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Evolution of water and sediment chemistry

Healy

¹

,

Rice

²

,

Bartos

³

et al. 2008

Water Resources Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] Development of coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, has increased substantially in recent years. Among environmental concerns associated with this development is the fate of groundwater removed with the gas. A preferred water-management option is storage in surface impoundments. As of January 2007, permits for more than 4000 impoundments had been issued within Wyoming. A study was conducted on changes in water and sediment chemistry as water from an impoundment infiltrated the subsurface. Sediment cores were collected prior to operation of the impoundment and after its closure and reclamation. Suction lysimeters were used to collect water samples from beneath the impoundment. Large amounts of chloride (12,300 kg) and nitrate (13,500 kg as N), most of which accumulated naturally in the sediments over thousands of years, were released into groundwater by infiltrating water. Nitrate was more readily flushed from the sediments than chloride. If sediments at other impoundment locations contain similar amounts of chloride and nitrate, impoundments already permitted could release over 48 Â 10 6 kg of chloride and 52 Â 10 6 kg of nitrate into groundwater in the basin. A solute plume with total dissolved solid (TDS) concentrations at times exceeding 100,000 mg/L was created in the subsurface. TDS concentrations in the plume were substantially greater than those in the CBNG water (about 2300 mg/L) and in the ambient shallow groundwater (about 8000 mg/L). Sulfate, sodium, and magnesium are the dominant ions in the plume. The elevated concentrations are attributed to cation-exchange-enhanced gypsum dissolution. As gypsum dissolves, calcium goes into solution and is exchanged for sodium and magnesium on clays. Removal of calcium from solution allows further gypsum dissolution.Citation: Healy, R. W., C. A. Rice, T. T. Bartos, and M. P. McKinley (2008), Infiltration from an impoundment for coal-bed natural gas, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Evolution of water and sediment chemistry, Water Resour. Res., 44, W06424,

show abstract

Radium: Radionuclides

Vandenhove¹,

Verrezen²,

Landa³

2005

Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article describes (1) the occurrence, chemistry, and bioavailability of radium (Ra) in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and its analysis in environmental samples, (2) the nature of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and their role in radium‐contamination scenarios, and (3) the geochemical processes and remedial measures associated with radium‐contaminated water and soil. Radium is the heaviest of the Group II, alkaline earth metals. Radium is exclusively divalent and its chemistry resembles that of barium. Radium has a limited environmental mobility due to sorption (e.g., by hydrous oxides of Fe, Mn, and Al) and coprecipitation reactions (e.g., with barite). All isotopes of radium (atomic number 88) are radioactive. The most important radium isotopes are 226 Ra (half life 1600 years) and 228 Ra (half life 5.7 years), decay products of, respectively, the 238 U and the 232 Th series. As members of natural radioactive decay series, these radium isotopes are found in uranium‐ and thorium‐bearing minerals. Concentrations of uranium and thorium in rocks can range from those of ore‐grade deposits to the trace levels typical of common rock‐forming minerals. In uncontaminated surface waters, radium content is generally low and within a narrow range (0.5–20 mBq l −1 ). Radium in groundwater is highly variable (<0.52–55 000 mBq l −1 ) and can arise from natural sources, resulting from the interaction of groundwater with radium‐bearing materials or indirectly from man's exploitation of the radioactive minerals of uranium and thorium. The major challenge associated with many NORM‐containing residues or NORM‐contaminated sites is the larger volumes of material and the relatively low specific activities.

show abstract

Radium: Radionuclides

Vandenhove¹,

Verrezen²,

Landa³

2011

Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry

2

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article describes (1) the occurrence, chemistry, and bioavailability of radium (Ra) in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and its analysis in environmental samples, (2) the nature of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and their role in radium‐contamination scenarios, and (3) the geochemical processes and remedial measures associated with radium‐contaminated water and soil. Radium is the heaviest of the Group II, alkaline earth metals. Radium is exclusively divalent and its chemistry resembles that of barium. Radium has a limited environmental mobility due to sorption (e.g., by hydrous oxides of Fe, Mn, and Al) and coprecipitation reactions (e.g., with barite). All isotopes of radium (atomic number 88) are radioactive. The most important radium isotopes are 226 Ra (half life 1600 years) and 228 Ra (half life 5.7 years), decay products of, respectively, the 238 U and the 232 Th series. As members of natural radioactive decay series, these radium isotopes are found in uranium‐ and thorium‐bearing minerals. Concentrations of uranium and thorium in rocks can range from those of ore‐grade deposits to the trace levels typical of common rock‐forming minerals. In uncontaminated surface waters, radium content is generally low and within a narrow range (0.5–20 mBq l −1 ). Radium in groundwater is highly variable (<0.52–55 000 mBq l −1 ) and can arise from natural sources, resulting from the interaction of groundwater with radium‐bearing materials or indirectly from man's exploitation of the radioactive minerals of uranium and thorium. The major challenge associated with many NORM‐containing residues or NORM‐contaminated sites is the larger volumes of material and the relatively low specific activities.

show abstract

Incubation with moist top soils enhances solubilization of radium and other components from oil-field scale and sludge: Environmental concerns from Mississippi

Cited by 3 publications

References 9 publications

Infiltration from an impoundment for coal‐bed natural gas, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Evolution of water and sediment chemistry

Infiltration from an impoundment for coal‐bed natural gas, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Evolution of water and sediment chemistry

Radium: Radionuclides

Radium: Radionuclides

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About