Comments on: Oil, Water, and Mixing

By: Michele Sacchetti

Michele Sacchetti — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:32:54 +0000

Great article. But has the US and (Canadian) govenrnmets, have they not foressen that the contamination of ground water will have a much more significant and worrisome effects on society. I mean, global warming will have (already are signs of weather changing throughout the world) a drastic impact on society (the way we live and where we live). Could we not be looking at much more safe alternative energy source or better yet enforce companies to do more in R&D without leaving behind a carbon footprint and seek alternative resources without affecting the Earth or the environment.

By: Uncle Al

Uncle Al — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:15:56 +0000

Fracking contaminates aquifers plus groundwater. Fracking fluid is a nasty brew of chemicals plus liberated hydrocarbons, pumped underground, typically 15,000 m^3/well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

The fracking industry furiously denies its broad radius of surface contamination. Sodium fluorescein (uranine) is easily detectable at 0.1 microgram/liter, 0.1 part per billion; to 0.001 part per billion with professional analysis. It is the standard inexpensive water tracer. One gram of uranine/tonne of fracking fluid, one part per million, allows tracing at 10,000 times to 1,000,000 times dilution contamination.

That the fracking industry does not trivially end groundwater debates with uranine tracer indicates the immensity of ongoing toxic surface contamination.

By: Gavin Flower

Gavin Flower — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:12:49 +0000

Hmm…

What about the Earthquakes generated (not immediately be the fracking, but later), and the impact on water quality?