title: Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota.
abstract: Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4ML (million liters) of wastewater (300g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify geochemical signatures of spilled wastewaters as well as biological responses along a 44-km river reach. February water samples had elevated chloride (1030mg/L) and bromide (7.8mg/L) downstream from the spill, compared to upstream levels (11mg/L and <0.4mg/L, respectively). Lithium (0.25mg/L), boron (1.75mg/L) and strontium (7.1mg/L) were present downstream at 5-10 times upstream concentrations. Light hydrocarbon measurements indicated a persistent thermogenic source of methane in the stream. Semi-volatile hydrocarbons indicative of oil were not detected in filtered samples but low levels, including tetramethylbenzenes and di-methylnaphthalenes, were detected in unfiltered water samples downstream from the spill. Labile sediment-bound barium and strontium concentrations (June 2015) were higher downstream from the Spill Site. Radium activities in sediment downstream from the Spill Site were up to 15 times the upstream activities and, combined with Sr isotope ratios, suggest contributions from the pipeline fluid and support the conclusion that elevated concentrations in Blacktail Creek water are from the leaking pipeline. Results from June 2015 demonstrate the persistence of wastewater effects in Blacktail Creek several months after remediation efforts started. Aquatic health effects were observed in June 2015; fish bioassays showed only 2.5% survival at 7.1km downstream from the spill compared to 89% at the upstream reference site. Additional potential biological impacts were indicated by estrogenic inhibition in downstream waters. Our findings demonstrate that environmental signatures from wastewater spills are persistent and create the potential for long-term environmental health effects.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA. Electronic address: icozzare@usgs.gov.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Cozzarelli
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Skalak
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Engle
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benthem
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mumford
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Jackson Field Research Station, Jackson, WY 83001, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farag
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Jackson Field Research Station, Jackson, WY 83001, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Iwanowicz
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Orem
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Akob
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jaeschke
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, North Dakota Water Science Center, Bismarck, ND 58503, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stoliker
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Jolly
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009658:North Dakota; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Bakken Formation; Brine spills; Endocrine disrupting activity; Tight oil production; Unconventional oil and gas production; Wastewaters; Williston Basin