(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kallie Huss
onepress@plos.org
415-568-3162
Public Library of Science
Drilling for hydrocarbons can impact aquatic life
Drilling sumps can leak into surface water
	
The degradation of drilling sumps associated with hydrocarbon extraction can negatively affect aquatic ecosystems, according to new research published November 6th in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Joshua Thienpont and colleagues at Queen's University and other institutions.
	
Hydrocarbons are a primary source of energy as combustible fuel. Although hydrocarbon exploration and extraction are profitable enterprises, hydrocarbons contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases and are therefore a major stressor to the environment.
	
During the process of exploring for hydrocarbons, drilling sumps are used to permanently store the waste associated with drilling. In the Mackenzie Delta region of Canada's western Arctic, more than 150 drilling sumps were constructed for this purpose. Although the areas surrounding the sumps were believed to be frozen by the surrounding permafrost, recent findings suggest that these areas may actually be thawing. In this study, the authors examine the environmental effects of this type of drilling sump containment loss in the Mackenzie Delta.
	
Because drilling fluids are saline, they tested whether leakage to surface waters was occurring by measuring changes in conductivity, as saline is more conductive than pure water. They also hypothesized that if saline-rich wastes from drilling sumps were impacting lakes, there should be changes in the types of life forms present. Zooplankton, for example, are a key component of aquatic ecosystems and various species survive differently in saline versus fresh water. 
	
Through an analysis of lake sediments, they found changes in the community composition of zooplankton due to sump degradation. These results suggest that climate change and permafrost thaw can have deleterious consequences to aquatic life through the degradation and leaking of drilling sumps.
	
Thienpont elaborates, "The leaching of wastes from drilling sumps represents a newly identified example of one of the cumulative impacts of recent climate change impacting the sensitive freshwater ecosystems of the Arctic."
	
INFORMATION:
Citation: Thienpont JR, Kokelj SV, Korosi JB, Cheng ES, Desjardins C, et al. (2013) Exploratory Hydrocarbon Drilling Impacts to Arctic Lake Ecosystems. PLoS ONE 8(11): e78875. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078875
	
Financial Disclosure: This work was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada through Discovery grants to MFJP, JMB and JPS, and an NSERC Northern Supplement to MFJP. The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) also provided logistical support to MFJP. The cumulative impact monitoring program (CIMP) provided support for collection of water chemistry results. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
	
Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
	
PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends):  http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078875
	
Disclaimer: This press release refers to upcoming articles in PLOS ONE. The releases have been provided by the article authors and/or journal staff. Any opinions expressed in these are the personal views of the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLOS. PLOS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the release and article and your use of such information.
	
About PLOS ONE: PLOS ONE is the first journal of primary research from all areas of science to employ a combination of peer review and post-publication rating and commenting, to maximize the impact of every report it publishes. PLOS ONE is published by the Public Library of Science (PLOS), the open-access publisher whose goal is to make the world's scientific and medical literature a public resource.
	
All works published in PLOS ONE are Open Access. Everything is immediately available—to read, download, redistribute, include in databases and otherwise use—without cost to anyone, anywhere, subject only to the condition that the original authors and source are properly attributed. For more information about PLOS ONE relevant to journalists, bloggers and press officers, including details of our press release process and our embargo policy, see the everyONE blog at http://everyone.plos.org/media.
Drilling for hydrocarbons can impact aquatic life
Drilling sumps can leak into surface water
2013-11-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
The presence of human settlements has a negative impact on tiger connectivity
2013-11-07
The presence of human settlements has a negative impact on tiger connectivity
Tigers are dispersing over much greater distances than previously found
	Human settlements and roads place greater barriers on tiger dispersal than distance, according to new research published ...
Lower education levels linked to unhealthy diets
2013-11-07
Lower education levels linked to unhealthy diets
Higher physical activity in less-educated people is related to unhealthy diets
	People with lower levels of education may eat larger amounts of unhealthy, calorically dense food than those with a higher education level, ...
Earliest record of copulating insects discovered
2013-11-07
Earliest record of copulating insects discovered
Fossil of copulating insects discovered from Middle Jurassic period
	Scientists have found the oldest fossil depicting copulating insects in northeastern China, published November 6th in the open-access journal PLOS ONE ...
Speaking a second language may delay dementia, study shows
2013-11-07
Speaking a second language may delay dementia, study shows
People who speak more than 1 language and who develop dementia tend to do so up to 5 years later than those who are monolingual, according to a study
	People who speak more than one language and ...
Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed
2013-11-07
Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed
	New insights gleaned from volcanic rock are helping scientists better understand how our planet evolved billions of years ago.
	Studies of basalt, the material that forms from cooling lava, ...
Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path
2013-11-07
Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path
UFZ researchers illustrate the weaknesses of DNA barcoding
	Halle/Saale. For animal species that cannot be distinguished using their external characteristics, genetic techniques such as ...
Earliest marker for autism found in young infants
2013-11-07
Earliest marker for autism found in young infants
NIH-funded study finds attention to others' eyes declines in 2 to 6-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism
	Eye contact during early infancy may be a key to early identification of autism, according ...
NASA sees Tropical Depression 30W stretching out, fading
2013-11-07
NASA sees Tropical Depression 30W stretching out, fading
	Tropical Storm 30W weakened into a tropical depression again on Nov. 6 and wind shear stretched out the storm. The storm's elongation was evident in infrared NASA satellite imagery.
	NASA's Aqua satellite ...
Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and development of diabetes
2013-11-07
Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and development of diabetes
Normal blood sugar regulation is a partnership between the pancreas and the brain
	
A growing body of evidence suggests that the brain plays a key role in glucose regulation and the development ...
Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect
2013-11-07
Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect
Parent's use of digital photography shown as an effective tool in diagnosis of retinoblastoma
	
	
WACO, Texas (Nov. 6, 2013) —Can parents use digital cameras and smart phones to potentially screen ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Improving care for life-threatening blood clots
Yonsei University develops a new era of high-voltage solid-state batteries
Underweight and unbalanced: Gut microbial diversity in underweight Japanese women
Astringent, sharper mind: Flavanols trigger brain activity for memory and stress response
New editorial urges clinicians to address sex-based disparities in sepsis treatment
Researchers at MIT develop new nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system to attack ovarian tumors
Opening the door to a vaccine for multiple childhood infections
New clue to ALS and FTD: Faulty protein disrupts brain’s ‘brake’ system
Detailed map of US air-conditioning usage shows who can beat the heat — and who can’t
An electronic fiber for stretchable sensing
New image captures spooky bat signal in the sky
Cobalt single atom-phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide/perylenetetracarboxylic acid nanosheet heterojunctions for efficiently photocatalytic H2O2 production
World-first study shows Australian marsupials contaminated with harmful ‘forever chemicals’
Unlocking the brain’s hidden drainage system
Enhancing smoking cessation treatment for people living with HIV
Research spotlight: Mapping how gut neurons respond to bacteria, parasites and food allergy
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators awards to UCSB experimentalists opens the door to new insights and innovations
Meerkats get health benefit from mob membership
COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children
How a chorus of synchronized frequencies helps you digest your food
UAlbany researcher partners on $1.2 million NSF grant to explore tropical monsoon rainfall patterns
Checkup time for Fido? Wait might be longer in the country
Genetic variation impact scores: A new tool for earlier heart disease detection
The Lundquist Institute awarded $9 million to launch Community Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine
'Really bizarre and exciting': The quantum oscillations are coming from inside
Is AI becoming selfish?
New molten salt method gives old lithium batteries a second life
Leg, foot amputations increased 65% in Illinois hospitals between 2016-2023
Moffitt studies uncover complementary strategies to overcome resistance to KRAS G12Cinhibitors in lung cancer
National summit of experts charts unprecedented roadmap to reduce harms from firearms in new ways
[Press-News.org] Drilling for hydrocarbons can impact aquatic lifeDrilling sumps can leak into surface water