METHANE IN DRINKING WATER
SUMMARY:
In the article “Methane on Tap: Study Links Pollution to Gas Drilling” from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/natural-gas-drilling-linked-to-methane-in-water/. It talks about how a team of researchers have produced the very first valid evidence that methane has gotten into drinking water where shale gas is being drilled, sixty private water wells from homes have been sampled across northeastern Pennsylvania. There have been rich underground deposits of natural gas found here and are being extracted according to: Duke University scientists. In an article published on Monday called “Science”, stated that in the active drilling areas the amount of methane has increased. They also discovered that only 3200 feet away from an active drilling site they found water that had enough methane in it could be lit on fire. The methane that was found in the well water was 17x’s higher than other water wells found further away. This study has added a lot of problems that has revolved around “fracking”, which is a process where water is pumped at a high pressure into oil or methane gas deposits to fracture the rock above and release the liquid or gas below. The success of this technology’s has created large stores of natural gas in the United States and Canada. A U.S. government assessment showed that there are similar shale resources that are available in 32 other countries around the world. The environmental controversy has soiled the boom because the residents have complained that the methane had polluted the drinking water. PERSONAL COMMENTARY:
Why does this issue matter? it matters because the methane that is getting into the water from the drilling is our drinking water and it is being contaminated .the methane contaminated water could harm people who are drinking it .the water also has a great chance of catching fire because it contains so much methane. Has this article taught me something new? Yes it actually has I did not know that the drilling of shale was causing methane to contaminate the drinking water and that the water up to 1 kilometer (3,200 feet) away could still be highly contaminated with the methane’s also did not know that similar shale resources are available in 32 other courtiers which means there are 32 more places where the water is and could be contaminated with the methane gas. Does it support or refute other information you’ve heard or read? the information I read in this article has supported the other information I have read and heard about because I have heard about some of the problems dealing with methane in the drinking water and what is causing it to be in the drinking water .I read that ,Methane leaks are contaminating drinking water near shale gas drilling sites in the northeastern United States from an article called: Shale-Gas Drilling Contaminating Drinking Water from http://news.discovery.com/earth/hydrofracking-shale-methane-leak-in-wells-110511.html.
What’s next?
What can be done to remove the methane gas from the drinking water? If there is methane gas in your drinking water it can be vented from some wells, where a vent is placed into the well. Another method that could be used is Aeration it eliminate methane from the well water. What actions are needed that are not mentioned in the article or paper? I believe that they need to find an alternate way to drill shale without the methane gas leaking into the water supply, but that could take years. What further study is needed to answer remaining questions? scientists need to study the process of the shale drilling more to see what is actually part of the process is actually causing methane gas to leak and get into the water supply.so,they can try an come up with an alternate process.
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