HW-19 Dimock Data Review - EPA Findings - barium, chloride, phthalates

Comment

1. Without predrilling data, it is not possible to comment on the cause for any water quality problems.

2. Where possible, I have noted situations where elevated levels of a water quality parameter exists in Pennsylvania.

3. If duplicate analysis provided, I attempted to use the highest reported value.

4. New Document - http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/dwstandards2011.pdf

5. This is not about cause and effect; it is about a review of the data.

6. A Well by Well - Review of the Data for Dimock, PA collected by EPA

Well – HW-19

With the exception of the following parameters, the remaining values were reported as NOT Detected (U)

Anionic Surfactants – 0.014mg/L – the secondary drinking water standard for foaming agents is 0.5 mg/L.  (OK)

http://www.chemetrics.com/products/pdf/detergents.pdf

Barium – 0.229 mg/L – the primary drinking water standard for barium is 2.0 mg/L –– this does not suggest any specific impact and barium is typically detectable in non-saline impacted water at a level of less than 1 mg/L. (OK)

Calcium- 37.6 mg/L (Total)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available.  (OK)

Chloride – 18.7 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is <  250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.

Chromium- 0.0032 mg/L (D) and the EPA/ PADEP primary drinking water standard is < 0.100 mg/L (OK).

Copper – 0.0074 mg/L (OK)- the secondary drinking water standard is 1.0 mg/L and the primary drinking water standard is 1.3 mg/L. (OK)

Ethane – < 0.0012 mg/L  – No specific drinking water standard (OK)

Methane –  < 0.002 mg/L  – No specific drinking water standard. (OK).

The well water is not above the new action limit of 7 mg/L.   For more details, go to http://www.water-research.net/methanegas.htm

Magnesium- 7.72 mg/L (D)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available.  (OK)

Manganese– 0.0082 mg/L (Total)– Manganese is regulated as a secondary drinking water standard in Pennsylvania and the action limit is 0.05 mg/L.  Therefore, the total manganese content does not exceed the secondary drinking water standard.   (OK)

Nickel - 0.0017 mg/L (D) – no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available, but the EPA has suggest a MCL of 0.1 mg/L.   (OK)

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/pdfs/factsheets/ioc/tech/nickel.pdf

Nitrate+Nitrite- N – 2.39 mg/L, this is well below the EPA / PADEP drinking water limit of 10mg N/L for nitrate-N. (OK)- Recommend testing for nitrite-N.   Total nitrogen- 2.61 mg/L.

diethyl-phthalate – 0.000029 mg/L , the EPA/PADEP drinking water limit is 0.006 mg/L.  The reported value is less than the drinking water limit.   (OK)

The data in the Citizens Groundwater and Surfacewater database suggests that up to 8 % of private wells may have a level of phthalates that exceed the drinking water limit.

“It is commonly used to make plastics more flexible. Because diethyl phthalate is not a part of the chain of chemicals (polymers) which makes up the plastics, it can be released fairly easily from these products. These plastics are found in products such as toothbrushes, automobile parts, tools, toys, and food packaging. Diethyl phthalate is also used in cosmetics, insecticides, and aspirin”.http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=601&tid=112

Sodium –10.0 mg/L  (D) – no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available, but the EPA has added it to the Candidate List to provide more analysis.  The EPA’s initial value of 20 mg/L has been clearly identified as not realistic.  When chloride (salt is sodium chloride) is present at a concentration of over 250 mg/L, the water can have an “off” taste. At 400+ mg/L chloride, the water will taste definitely salty. (Source- Dr. Brian Redmond, Professional Geologist). (OK)

Sulfate – 18.2 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is <  250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.

Total Dissolved Solids  – 148 mg/L   – Total Dissolved Solids is regulated as a secondary drinking water standard by the PADEP in Pennsylvania and the action limit is 500 mg/L. 

Uranium – 0.0037 mg/L (Total) – Uranium is regulated as a primary drinking water standard by the EPA and PADEP in Pennsylvania and the action limit is 0.030 mg/L.  (OK)

Zinc  – 0.0069 mg/L (Total) – Zinc is regulated as a secondary drinking water standard by the PADEP in Pennsylvania and the action limit is 5.0 mg/L.  (OK)

Ethylene glycol –  the reported value is < 10 mg/L – there is no standard, but the EPA has a guidance limit of < 7 mg/L.  Other states have lower and higher standards:

New Jersey 0.300 mg/L (300 ppb)

Arizona 5.5 mg/L (5500 ppb)

New Hampshire 7.0 mg/L (7000 ppb)

Florida, Massachusetts, and Minnesota14.0 mg/L (14,000 ppb)

Minnesota

At a minimum, I would recommend retesting for ethylene glycol other other glycol compounds using a method that is more sensitive or conducting some type of standard additions analysis.

No major problems

1. No major problem, but recommend testing for nitrite-N.  The drinking water standard for nitrite-N is 1 mg/L.  Since the concentration for total nitrate and nitrite is over 2 mg/L, it is possible that the level of nitrite-N is over 1 mg/L.

2. Retesting for glycols using a more sensitive technique is recommended.

3. The detection of the plasticizer is not atypical or a red flag for the region.  The data in the Citizens Groundwater and Surfacewater database suggests that up to 8 % of private wells may have a level of phthalates that exceed the drinking water limit.  Support the citizen groundwater surfacewater database - its Free !

Document can not be copied in whole or part without the expressed written permission of Mr. Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc. http://www.bfenvironmental.com

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Barium in Drinking Water and Brine Water Marcellus Shale Citizen Private Well Monitoring

For drinking water the maximum contaminant level set by the EPA and used by the PADEP is 2.0 mg/L or 2000 ppb.   Barium (Ba+2) can cause an increase in blood pressure and affects the nervous and circulatory system.

Barium is a lustrous, machinable metal which exists in nature only in ores containing mixtures of elements.
Barium is a naturally occurring alkaline earth metal more commonly found in the Midwest or in brine water or fluids associated with oil and gas development.  In addition, barium can be found in landfill leachate, coal waste, paints, and high octane fuels.  Barium is used to make a variety of electronic components, in metal alloys, bleaches, dyes, fireworks, ceramics and glass.   With respect to Marcellus Shale development, high levels of barium may also be associated with elevated level of the following cations (positively charged ions): strontium, chloride, lithium, calcium, and sodium and elevated levels of the following anion (negatively charged ions): chloride.  The primary source of barium is most likely the natural saline water that exists below the freshwater aquifer and saline water that had been trapped in the bedrock at the time the sediment was being depositied, called connate water.

Regarding the barium content of the surfacewater and groundwater - this is difficult to answer, but I would probably say a value less than 0.5 to 1 mg/L would likely represent water that is not impacted by saline water.  For one sample, I know that is impact or consists of a mixture of saline and freshwater the barium content was about 1.6 mg/L.  This was not a well impact by Marcellus Shale Development or a spill, but the well was deep enough to permit the mixing of saline and freshwater.

For a NATURAL  saline seep in Susquehanna County, I have seen barium levels of over 160 mg/L.    For production water, barium concentrations may be over 6000 mg/L.  Since the solubility of barium chloride is over 30,000 mg/L, the barium is typically removed using a co-precipitation process by the introduction of bases (High pH solutions or other salts that form a compound with a lower solubility,such as the reaction of barium with sulfate- Solubility of Barium Sulfate is
2.5 mg/L).   If barium is above 2 mg/L, it violates a primary drinking water standard, but it can be easily removed using a water softener.

Barium - Is regulated as a primary drinking water standard, because it is associated with a potential health concern. 

For 20 years, I have been suggesting well owners get there water tested, here are some options:

a. Informational Water Testing
b. Free Manual for Private Well Owners - includes a section on barium
c. Baseline Testing Related to Natural Gas Development - Chain-of-Custody, Certified Testing and More.
4. Need Help Understanding Water Testing Result - FREE Service

Work as a Community - Support the Citizen Groundwater Database - Northeastern Pennsylvania

You can monitor your general water quality at home using a small handheld conductivity meter.

Issue of Chloride in discharge Permits

"State rule targets chloride levels
By Robert Swift (Harrisburg Bureau Chief)
Published: July 17, 2010
HARRISBURG - A proposed state rule to limit the concentration in waterways of a salt compound produced by the Marcellus Shale drilling process is under challenge.
The proposal by the Department of Environmental Protection would align the state standard for allowable chloride levels with national criteria used to protect freshwater plant and animal species. The existing state chloride standard was developed mainly to protect water supplies
Fish and aquatic life can't survive when high levels of chloride are present. Chloride can corrode metals and affect the taste of food products.
The rule is being considered by the Environmental Quality Board as environmentalists warn that increased drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation will produce wastewater contributing to high levels of chloride to streams and groundwater.

Chloride occurs naturally in ancient rock formations that once formed seabeds and are reached by the drilling for deep gas pockets.
But chloride can also contaminate waterways through agricultural runoff and discharges from industries and wastewater treatment plants.
The chloride rule is a separate issue from a broader rule to limit pollution in wastewater from natural gas drilling in the final stages of regulatory action. The rule gives drillers several options to treat wastewater.
Under the chloride rule, the DEP would follow toxicity data on the impact of chlorides on plant aquatic life set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in a 1988 study.
Both environmental and industry groups argue the 1988 data is outdated.
A coalition of environmental groups, including Clean Water Action and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, note that DEP has the authority to adopt standards more stringent than federal criteria. They want new studies on chloride contamination that focus on aquatic life in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Coal Association suggests other industries are adversely affected by the focus on Marcellus Shale drilling.
"The proposed regulation does have the potential to again sweep in a wide range of many other Pennsylvania industries, including the mining industry, who to date have not been generally required, to sample for, or treat, chloride in their wastewater discharges," the association said.

This week the state Independent Regulatory Review Commission urged DEP to rewrite the proposal.

"We agree that basing the new criteria on outdated data when more recent data is available is not reasonable," the commissioners said.

rswift@timesshamrock.com"


This is not my work,but here are my comments:
1. I have commented on NPDES Discharge Permits - I think it is critical we take a hard look at the permit limits we set for parameters such as chloride and sulfate.

2. We should be concerned with applying this very conservative limit to all industries - for example it could be very difficult to treat mine drainage if this standard had to be meet.

3. If this standard was applied to all NPDES permits - it may be a challenge to manage stormwater runoff and may require us to change how we deal with snow.

4. I would strongly recommend we take into consider the side effects of regulation.

5. If the concern is in-stream levels of contamination - we should also target and be concerned about urban runoff and the increasing the amount of groundwater recharge that sustains stream baseflows

My thoughts

PS: I will approve only comments that are constructive - so if you want to just vent - post on your own blog