Mycoremediation and Phytoremediation with Fracking Fluids

Overview

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is forcing open of fissures in subterranean rocks by introducing liquid at high pressure, especially to extract oil or gas. When water is shot into these fissures, groundwater becomes contaminated, and wastewater is created in high volumes. Both of these water sources can be toxic to life and are currently affecting Pennsylvanian ecosystems and agriculture. In Pennsylvania, Fracking is prevalent due to the large Marcellus shale formation that lies 5,000-9,000 feet below the earth’s surface, in addition to the profitability of the extracted gas. With the expansion of fracking, more land is becoming acidified by the waste products, which threaten the environment. In this experiment, I examined ways to remediate fracking-contaminated soil by utilizing bioremediants. Bioremediation is defined as the introduction of life forms to consume and break down environmental pollutants in order to clean up a polluted site. In my project, I utilized 2 subsets of bioremediants, mycoremediants, and phytoremediants. For my mycoremediant trial,or the trial with mushrooms-based bioremediants, I utilized oyster mushrooms. For my phytoremediation trial, or the trial with a leafy, green bioremediate, I utilized radishes. I hypothesized that these bioremediants would be able to bring the pH, which had been affected by fracking chemicals, back to a healthy, sustainable level. While information pertaining to fracking is confidential and proprietary to specific fracking companies, the EPA was able to release a FracFocus study detailing certain chemicals used in fracking. For my experiment, I utilized the 6 most common chemicals in fracking procedures (utilized in over 70% of surveyed wells), as reported by the EPA. I created an equal concentration of these chemicals and distributed them to equal amounts of soil. The overall set-up of the experiment consisted of 4 groups, a control, radishes only, mushrooms only and a radish and mushroom combination. Each group had 3 trials which were grown under the same controlled conditions. All groups were watered with 30ml of distilled water every day, and pH readings were taken every 3 days. After a month of growth, the group with the combination of radishes and mushrooms had remediated the soil the most, deemed by the greatest overall change in pH. In addition to having a greater quantity of bioremediants, the radish-mushroom combination group could have been aided by each plant’s respective optimal pH level. Mushrooms thrive in a more acidic environment, while the optimal pH for radishes is closer to 7. This data can be utilized to prescribe the most effective remediation methods for areas affected by fracking pollution, especially as the practice continues to grow in Pennsylvania.

Competition history

• AJAS 2019 Category not listed

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