Daily Fusion: New Test Will Check for Groundwater Contamination from Shale Gas

A test to check for groundwater contamination from shale gas extraction processes and other unconventional techniques like coal bed methane extraction is being developed at the University of Edinburgh.

Methods used for shale gas extraction include hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, in which shale rocks below ground are split with high-pressure fluids to release gas that is recovered for fuel.

Coal bed methane is extracted from deep coal seams by drilling into the coal to reduce the pressure and release gas.

Groundwater often contains methane gas from shallow natural sources, which is harmless in small quantities. One study showed that people who get drinking water from wells that are located too close to a fracking site appear to be at higher risk of drinking water contamination from stray gases. Another study, however, found no evidence of groundwater contamination from shale gas production.

Researchers are developing ways to fingerprint methane gas by identifying the types of carbon and hydrogen present along with tiny traces of inactive natural gases, known as noble gases.  MORE