title: Holistic risk assessment of surface water contamination due to Pb-210 in oil produced water from the Bakken Shale.
abstract: A holistic risk assessment of surface water (SW) contamination due to lead-210 (Pb-210) in oil produced water (PW) from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota (ND) was conducted. Pb-210 is a relatively long-lived radionuclide and very mobile in water. Because of limited data on Pb-210, a simulation model was developed to determine its concentration based on its parent radium-226 and historical total dissolved solids levels in PW. Scenarios where PW spills could reach SW were analyzed by applying the four steps of the risk assessment process. These scenarios are: (1) storage tank overflow, (2) leakage in equipment, and (3) spills related to trucks used to transport PW. Furthermore, a survey was conducted in ND to quantify the risk perception of PW from different stakeholders. Findings from the study include a low probability of a PW spill reaching SW and simulated concentration of Pb-210 in drinking water higher than the recommended value established by the World Health Organization. Also, after including the results from the risk perception survey, the assessment indicates that the risk of contamination of the three scenarios evaluated is between medium-high to high.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA.
authors.forename: Om Prakash
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA. Electronic address: eakalak.khan@ndsu.edu.
authors.forename: Eakalak
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D000067071:Hydraulic Fracking; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D009658:North Dakota; D059392:Petroleum Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: Holistic risk assessment; Lead-210; Simulation model; Social risk perception; Surface water contamination; Unconventional onshore oil production