ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF MEMBRANE-BASED TREATMENT OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCED WATER FOR AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION

The overarching goal of this AES proposal is to comprehensively evaluate the feasibility of reusing shale oil and gas (SOG) produced water for agricultural irrigation in Colorado, by innovatively coupling membrane treatment technology with detailed chemical characterization and irrigation studies for the first time. Three research objectives at the interface of wastewater treatment, analytical chemistry, and crop science are designed for a three-year span: (1) we will treat SOG produced water collected from the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin effectively by using fouling-resistant membrane filtration possessing varied selectivity and permeability; (2) we will perform detailed chemical characterization of the treated produced water generated by different membranes; and (3) we will evaluate the effects of treated produced water on crop health and food safety by applying a combination of chemical, biological, and molecular analyses.