A11M-0252
Estimating emissions of toxic hydrocarbons from natural gas production sites in the Barnett Shale region
Monday, 14 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Josette Elizabeth Marrero1, Amy Townsend-Small2, David Richard Lyon3, Tracy Tsai4, Simone Meinardi5 and Donald Ray Blake5, (1)NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, United States, (2)University of Cincinnati Main Campus, Cincinnati, OH, United States, (3)University of Arkansas, Environmental Dynamics, Fayetteville, AR, United States, (4)Picarro, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, United States, (5)University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
Abstract:
Throughout the past decade, shale gas operations have moved closer to urban centers and densely populated areas, contributing to growing public concerns regarding exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). These HAPs include gases like hexane, 1,3-butadiene and BTEX compounds, which can cause minor health effects from short-term exposure or possibly cancer due to prolonged exposure. During the Barnett Shale Coordinated Campaign in October, 2013, ground-based whole air samples revealed enhancements in several of these toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) downwind of natural gas well pads and compressor stations. Two methods were used to estimate the emission rate of several HAPs in the Barnett Shale. The first method utilized CH4 flux measurements derived from the Picarro Mobile Flux Plane (MFP) and taken concurrently with whole air samples, while the second used a CH4 emissions inventory developed for the Barnett Shale region. From these two approaches, the regional emission estimate for benzene (C6H6) ranged from 48 ± 16 to 84 ± 26 kg C6H6 hr-1. A significant regional source of atmospheric benzene is evident, despite measurement uncertainty and limited number of samples. The extent to which these emission rates equate to a larger public health risk is unclear, but is of particular interest as natural gas productions continues to expand.
