Grantee Research Project Results

2012 Progress Report: Diagnostic Monitoring of Biogeochemical Interactions of a Shallow Aquifer in Response to a CO2 Leak

EPA Grant Number: R834503
Title: Diagnostic Monitoring of Biogeochemical Interactions of a Shallow Aquifer in Response to a CO2 Leak
Investigators: Goldberg, David S. , Matter, Juerg M. , O'Mullan, Gregory , Stute, Martin , Takahashi, Taro
Institution: Columbia University in the City of New York
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: December 1, 2009 through November 30, 2012 (Extended to November 30, 2014)
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2011 through November 30,2012
Project Amount: $899,997
RFA: Integrated Design, Modeling, and Monitoring of Geologic Sequestration of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide to Safeguard Sources of Drinking Water (2009) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Drinking Water , Water

Objective:

The question addressed in this study is: how does an elevated-level CO₂ concentration caused by a hypothetical leakage of CO₂ from deep injection reservoirs affect the chemical and microbiological conditions in a shallow aquifer?

Understanding the fundamental scientific processes resulting from CO₂ enrichment of aquifer water is the primary advance of the proposed work. In particular, we focus on determining the mobility of hazardous chemical elements and the biogeochemical responses due to the CO₂ enrichment in target lithologies. The methodologies developed in this work also will be directly transferable to other sites affected by increased CO₂ levels induced from CO₂ sequestration in subterranean rock formations. 

The project will investigate a shallow potable water aquifer system in sand/clay sequences of the Newark Basin group using laboratory and in situ experimental methods. Methods will involve extracting rock and water samples from a shallow aquifer and then conducting a series of geochemical and microbiological laboratory experiments using these samples. We also will conduct in situ injection and recovery experiments.

Progress Summary:

This annual progress report covers activities completed during Year 3 under U.S. EPA STAR Grant R834503. To fully complete the proposed laboratory analyses and expand project collaborations, this STAR grant was extended for 2 years (through November 30, 2014) at no additional cost to EPA. The following activities were completed during the current project period:

1. Receipt of EPA authorization for 2012 CO₂ and tracer injection experiments under UICID# 04NY08707045.
2. Completion of a second push-pull experiment in well TW-3 with injection of approximately 815 gallons aquifer water with elevated CO₂ (up to 1-atm pCO₂) and tracers (Br^- and SF₆) into packed-off interval of 13-ft long at 1200-ft depth, and real-time monitoring of aquifer water during recovery.
3. Sampling and real-time monitoring for chemical and biological properties of pumped-back fluids after the 41-day incubation period and during 30 days afterward until the aquifer water returned to the pre-injection level with recovery of a total of approximately 20,000 gallons.
4. Analysis of chemical properties of pumped-back fluids, including major ions, trace elements, and total CO₂.
5. Initiation of microbial characterization of fluids recovered after pump-back, including: total microscopic cell counts, enrichment culture Most Probable Number (MPN) enumeration, and preliminary 454 sequencing of DNA for 16S rRNA gene characterization for bacteria and archaea, yielding approximately 200,000 sequences for characterization of the microbial community.
6. Laboratory incubation experiments for aquifer-sediment interaction under abiotic and biotic conditions. Chemical analysis of TW-3 drill cuttings and fluid samples using ICP-MS, IC and GC, as described in the QAPP.
7. Laboratory experiments for porosity and geochemical composition using outcrop samples, and Newark Basin Coring Project and TriCarb/DOE project cores at nearby sites. Laboratory incubation (41-day) experiments using outcrop and core samples, TW-3 aquifer water, and geochemical fluid analyses.
8. Preliminary comparison and interpretation of 2012 injection experiments (“Activity 3”) and laboratory incubation results (”Activity 6”) from Well TW-3 samples.
9. Notification to EPA district regarding completion of Phase 2 of CO₂ and tracer injection experiments under UICID# 04NY08707045.
10. Compilation of laboratory and field test results for EPA project site visit in July 2012 and future publications.

Future Activities:

We anticipate the following activities to be accomplished during the upcoming period:

1. Complete bio-informatic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries from both 2011 and 2012 injection experiments to characterize microbial community composition before and after injections.
2. Complete creation of 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries from laboratory experiments for fluid-aquifer sediment incubation.
3. Complete analysis of geochemical and microbiological data collected during laboratory incubation experiments under controlled pH/pCO₂ and H₂ conditions.
4. Conduct ICP-MS and bulk chemistry lab experiments on rock samples from nearby core samples, as described in the QAPP.
5. Compile laboratory and field-test results for project distribution and/or publications. All results to be distributed collaboratively, as per EPA requirements.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 18 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Sequestration, pollution prevention, metals, microbiology, groundwater

Relevant Websites:

http://brg.ldeo.columbia.edu/research_projects/lamont/ Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2010 Progress Report

2011 Progress Report

2013 Progress Report

Final Report