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Spectrum Quantification of Radium Isotopes in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastes

Received: 29 June 2015     Accepted: 30 June 2015     Published: 27 August 2015
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Abstract

Exploration of oil and natural gas from shale deposits can bring to the surface radioactivity. Naturally occurring Uranium-238 and Thorium-232 as part of their decay chains can produce radium isotopes, which are themselves precursors of radon gas. Due to the solubility of radium and its contaminated impact on the environments and health concerns, regulations on the levels of Ra226 and Ra228 in processed wastes have been enforced. Gamma spectroscopy is a methodology used to qualitatively identify these radium isotopes, but to quantitatively analyze the activity concentrations requires appropriate calibration procedures and energy peak selections.

Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 3, Issue 2-1)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Clean Methods and Technologies for Hydraulic Fracturing

DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12
Page(s) 7-10
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hydraulic Fracturing, TENORM, Gamma Spectroscopy, Radium

References
[1] L. Ying, Analyzing TENORM in hydraulic fracturing wastes, International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis. Special Issue: Clean Methods and Technologies for Hydraulic Fracturing, vol. 3, no. 2-1, 2015, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.2015030201.11.
[2] N. R. Warner, C. A. Christie, R. B. Jackson, A. Vengosh, Impacts of shale gas wastewater disposal on water quality in western Pennsylvania, Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 47, 2013, pp. 11849-11857.
[3] Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, The Suggested State Regulations for Control of Radiation: www.crcpd.org/SSRCRs/
[4] L. Ying, F. O’Connor, TENORM radiological survey of Utica and Marcellus Shale, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 80, 2013, pp. 95-98.
[5] L. Ying, F. O’Connor, J. Stolz, Scintillation gamma spectrometer for analysis of hydraulic fracturing waste products, Journal of Environmental Science and Health, vol. 50, Part A, 2015, pp. 499-503.
[6] J. L. Peeples, R. P. Gardner, Monte Carlo simulation of the nonlinear full peak energy responses for gamma-ray scintillation detectors, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 70, 2012, pp. 1058-1062.
[7] R. L. Heath, Scintillation Spectrometry Gamma-Ray Spectrum Catalogue, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, 1964, IDO Report: 16880-1.
[8] A. W. Nelson, D. May, A. W. Knight, et al., Matrix complications in the determination of radium levels in hydraulic fracturing flowback water from Marcellus shale, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, vol. 1, 2014, pp. 204-208.
[9] North Dakota Department of Health Radiation Control, Licensed TENORM Testing Facilities: www.ndhealth.gov/aq/rad/licensed_tenorm_testing.htm.
[10] Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Radiation Protection, Acceptable TENORM Analytical Methods for Radium-226 and Radium-228, 2014, pp. 1-5.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Leong Ying, Robert Brenna, Richard Yuen, Cory Hoskins. (2015). Spectrum Quantification of Radium Isotopes in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastes. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 3(2-1), 7-10. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12

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    ACS Style

    Leong Ying; Robert Brenna; Richard Yuen; Cory Hoskins. Spectrum Quantification of Radium Isotopes in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastes. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2015, 3(2-1), 7-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12

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    AMA Style

    Leong Ying, Robert Brenna, Richard Yuen, Cory Hoskins. Spectrum Quantification of Radium Isotopes in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastes. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2015;3(2-1):7-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12,
      author = {Leong Ying and Robert Brenna and Richard Yuen and Cory Hoskins},
      title = {Spectrum Quantification of Radium Isotopes in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastes},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {3},
      number = {2-1},
      pages = {7-10},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.s.2015030201.12},
      abstract = {Exploration of oil and natural gas from shale deposits can bring to the surface radioactivity. Naturally occurring Uranium-238 and Thorium-232 as part of their decay chains can produce radium isotopes, which are themselves precursors of radon gas. Due to the solubility of radium and its contaminated impact on the environments and health concerns, regulations on the levels of Ra226 and Ra228 in processed wastes have been enforced. Gamma spectroscopy is a methodology used to qualitatively identify these radium isotopes, but to quantitatively analyze the activity concentrations requires appropriate calibration procedures and energy peak selections.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Spectrum Quantification of Radium Isotopes in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastes
    AU  - Leong Ying
    AU  - Robert Brenna
    AU  - Richard Yuen
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    SP  - 7
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.s.2015030201.12
    AB  - Exploration of oil and natural gas from shale deposits can bring to the surface radioactivity. Naturally occurring Uranium-238 and Thorium-232 as part of their decay chains can produce radium isotopes, which are themselves precursors of radon gas. Due to the solubility of radium and its contaminated impact on the environments and health concerns, regulations on the levels of Ra226 and Ra228 in processed wastes have been enforced. Gamma spectroscopy is a methodology used to qualitatively identify these radium isotopes, but to quantitatively analyze the activity concentrations requires appropriate calibration procedures and energy peak selections.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 2-1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • KLYTEC, New Jersey, USA

  • KLYTEC, New Jersey, USA

  • KLYTEC, New Jersey, USA

  • Advanced TENORM, Kentucky, USA

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