1. Radioactivity in Marcellus Shale
Challenge for Regulators and Water Treatment Plants
Marvin Resnikoff, Ph.D.
Radioactive Waste Management Associates
WEF Annual Conference
October 2, 2012
New Orleans, LA

2. Objective
To examines the fate and transport of radionuclides brought to the surface, and the environmental impact in the environment

3. Areal Extent of Marcellus Shale

4. Depth of Marcellus Shale

5. Marcellus Thickness in New York

6. Beaver Meadows Core

7. Uranium Content in Four Cores
Location of the Core
Depth of Sample (feet)
Uranium Content (ppm)
Allegheny Cty, PA
7342 – 7465
8.9 – 67.7
Tomkins Cty, NY
1380 – 1420
25 – 53
Livingston Cty, NY
543 – 576
16.6 – 83.7
Knox Cty, OH
1027 – 1127
32.5 – 41.1

8. Well Development – Hydraulic Fracturing

9. Well Development
Rock Cuttings
Drill Fluid
Flowback

10. Rock Cutting Shakers

11. Flowback Water 10% to 40% of original pumped volume
High levels of salt and NORM
TDS 1,470 to 402,000 mg/L
TDS median 157,000 mg/L

12. Well Production
Brine
Scale buildup in gas equipment (well pipes, feeder lines, condensate tanks)
Radon in natural gas

13. Radium in Brine Water Well Town County Ra-226 Ra-228 Maxwell 1C Caton
Steuben
7885
234
Frost 2
Orange
Schuyler
2647
782
Webster T1
16030
912
Schiavone2
Reading
15140
957

14. Well Production
Brine
Scale buildup in gas equipment (well pipes, feeder lines, condensate tanks)
Radon in natural gas

15. Gas Equipment Well Natural Gas Line Well Water/gas separator Well
Condensate Tank
Well

19. Well Production
Brine
Scale buildup in gas equipment (well pipes, feeder lines, condensate tanks)
Radon in natural gas

20. Wellhead Radon Concentrations
Calculated radon concentrations: 36.9 to 2576 pCi/L
R Johnson (EPA, 1973) measured average 37 pCi/L in pre-fracking period

21. Transit Distance to Consumers
Distance to New York consumers from TX and LA wells: 1800 miles
Distance to Ne York consumers from Marcellus Shale: <400 miles
Pipeline velocity: 11 mph
Radon half-life: 3.8 days

22. Dilution in NYC Apartments
Avg. volume of apartment: 183 m3 (EPA, Exposure Factors Handbook)
Avg. air exchanges in apartment: 0.71/hr

23. Increase in Lung Cancer Rates
Wellhead concentration (high): 2576 pCi/L
Air NYC apartment: 0.482pCi/l lifetime exposure concentration in living space
Lifetime risk: 2.56E-03 (excess deaths per capita; EPA risk model, 2003)
30484 excess lung cancer deaths per 11.9 million residents

24. Uncertainties
Calculated wellhead radon concentrations – need measured concentrations
Pipeline dilution
Storage time
Propane removal

25. Summary Rock cuttings: solid waste landfill, wet
Drill fluids: recycle somewhat, slightly hot
Flowback water/brine: hot, licensed, but then?
Filter/sludge: licensed, but then?
Pipes: licensed, but then and also < 50 microR/hr released for commercial use
Radon: hold up