NETL’s researchers will showcase the Lab’s work to identify and address the nation’s greatest energy, environmental and economic challenges during the 2022 Resource Sustainability Project Review Meeting, scheduled for Oct. 25-27 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Among the presentations scheduled is “Predicting Pollutant Generation in the Subsurface to Inform Produced Wastewater Remediation and Reuse,” which focuses on determining when and where toxic pollutants are generated during hydraulic fracturing for natural gas and other fossil energy sources. Researchers replicated simplified subsurface geochemical conditions in the laboratory and observed chemical reactions that can generate toxic pollutants.
It was found that the presence of iron is a key factor in pollutant generation. The presence of various states of iron in the brine causes halogenation reactions that generate pollutants in the water.
“These results will help inform which wastewater treatment procedures should be implemented to enable beneficial reuse of fracturing produced water,” NETL Researcher Lauren Burrows said. “Responsible water management is becoming increasingly important as the country begins to shift its focus towards decarbonizing the energy industry because many decarbonization methods are water intensive.”
Other scheduled NETL presentations include:
The 2022 Resource Sustainability Project Review Meeting open to the public and includes a registration fee. Find more information, including how to register here.
NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.
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