This document contains a preprint of our article: Keller, D.H., P.M. Zelanko, J.E. Gagnon, R.J. Horwitz, H.S. Galbraith, and D.J. Velinski. 2018. Linking otolith microchemistry and surface water contamination from natural gas mining. Environmental Pollution 40, 457-465. A link to the published article in the journal of Environmental Pollution is below: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.026 A link to a FREE copy of published article in the journal of Environmental Pollution is below and is available until 6/29/2018:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1X1JrzLNSKKTY Please feel free to contact the authors for more information or if you have difficulty acquiring the published article. This preprint may contain minor typographical errors that were addressed during the copy editing stage.
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Linking otolith microchemistry and surface water contamination from natural gas mining
David H. Kellera, Paula M. Zelankoa, Joel E. Gagnonb, Richard J. Horwitzc, Heather S. Galbraithd, and David J. Velinskyc a
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
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Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada c
Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA d
U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory, 176 Straight Run Road, Wellsboro, PA, USA
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Address correspondence to: David H. Kellera, Tele: 215-299-1150, Fax: 215-299-1079, e-mail:
[email protected]
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Abstract
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Unconventional natural gas drilling and the use of hydraulic fracturing technology have
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expanded rapidly in North America. This expansion has raised concerns of surface water
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contamination by way of spills and leaks, which may be sporadic, small, and therefore difficult
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to detect. Here we explore the use of otolith microchemistry as a tool for monitoring surface
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water contamination from generated waters (GW) of unconventional natural gas drilling. We
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exposed Brook Trout in the laboratory to three volumetric concentrations of surrogate generated
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water (SGW) representing GW on day five of drilling. Transects across otolith cross-sections
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were analyzed for a suite of elements by LA-ICP-MS. Brook Trout exposed to a 0.01-1.0%
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concentration of SGW for 2, 15, and 30 days showed a significant (p
