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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Monitoring
Characterizing Groundwater Ch4 And 222rn In Relation To Hydraulic Fracturing And Other Environmental Processes In Letcher County, Ky, St. Thomas Majeau Ledoux
Characterizing Groundwater Ch4 And 222rn In Relation To Hydraulic Fracturing And Other Environmental Processes In Letcher County, Ky, St. Thomas Majeau Ledoux
Masters Theses
Hydraulic fracturing of shale deposits has greatly increased the productivity of the natural gas industry by allowing it to exploit previously inaccessible reservoirs. However, previous research has demonstrated that this practice can contaminate shallow aquifers with CH4 [methane] from deeper formations. This study compares concentrations and isotope compositions of CH4 sampled from domestic groundwater wells in Letcher County, Kentucky in order to characterize its occurrence and origins in relation to neighboring hydraulically fractured natural gas wells. Additionally, this study tests the reliability of 222Rn [radon] as an alternative tracer to CH4 in identifying processes of gas …