Vista, California, May 10, 2011 — One of the most disconcerting and major headlines in the U.S. with respect to water quality is hydrologic “fracking” of shale deposits for natural gas extraction. Today, Assure Controls has entered into a scientific research collaboration to undertake perhaps the largest drinking water toxicity testing program to study groundwater effects due to neighboring drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Geological shale formations exist throughout the United States and provide a rich source of natural gas. These formations span thousands of square miles and thousands of new drilling operations are established nationwide each year. The natural gas deposits have only recently become accessible using modern drilling technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
The effects of hydraulic fracturing on the quality of groundwater remain largely unknown and have sparked considerable debate. As Fred Hauchman, EPA Director of Science Policy, recently stated, “Natural gas is important to the country, but at the same time a lot of concerns have been expressed. And the public deserves to have answer to their questions.”
Assure Controls has agreed to support the largest of its kind sampling and testing program of wells located on private land in areas near hydraulic fracturing operations to assess the effects of hydraulic fracturing on the chemical and toxicological composition of the groundwater in these areas. The program will utilize the company’s QwikLite Biosensor System; a sensitive, rapid and affordable water quality test that can detect all types of organic, inorganic and heavy metal compounds if they are at biologically harmful levels. One rationale for Assure’s interest in the support of this study is that while the EPA regulates public water systems; it does not regulate private drinking water wells, which account for approximately 15 percent our country’s drinking water supplies. Unlike public drinking water systems, there are not experts checking the water’s source and its quality before it is utilized. In 2009 the USGS did a study of 2,100 private wells and determined that more than 20 percent of the domestic wells contain at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern.
“This evaluation of water toxicity will use geospatial and statistical analysis to examine correlations between hydraulic fracturing and toxicity and chemical composition of private well water,” stated Laura Hunt, Ph.D., a member of the scientific team. “In the U.S. there are an at least 15 million private wells; few are routinely tested for toxicity, so this has major implications.” The research team expects over 100 samples from private wells to be tested and analyzed, and will publish the findings in a scientific journal. Other researchers include: Brian Fontenot, Ph.D., Zacariah Hildenbrand Ph.D., all with extensive backgrounds in environmental science, water quality, EPA regulations and toxicity. The QwikLite testing will be performed in collaboration with the University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We will perform analytical and discriminatory chemical analysis in addition to the biological tests,” stated Kevin Schug, Ph.D., “the actual chemical compounds have not been completely assessed in this manner.”
The toxicity test method was developed by the US Navy, and licensed by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) to Assure Controls, which developed the QwikLite 200 Biosensor System.
Assure Controls is a product development and marketing company with assessment technologies that reduce the time, cost, and complexity of water quality testing. Assure is headquartered in Vista, California.
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