W. CONSHOHOCKEN, PA, April 1, 2015 -- ASTM International, an international standards organization, has proposed a new standard that will provide a simplified way to test for dissolved gases such as methane and ethane in water.
Environmental and testing laboratories will be able to use the proposed standard ("WK43267, Test Method for Measurement of Dissolved Gases Methane, Ethane, Ethylene, and Propane by Static Headspace Sampling and Flame Ionization Detection") to ensure that drinking water is safe in areas where hydraulic fracturing occurs.
Laboratories will use the proposed test to compare water from fracturing areas to water prepared with dissolved gases as a serial dilution. ASTM member Anne Jurek, senior applications chemist for EST Analytical, explained that the proposed test method presents an "effective and standardized" approach to testing for dissolved gases.
"The American Petroleum Institute recommends that drilling companies test surrounding drinking water reservoirs and wells before, during and after drilling to ensure that there are no residual effects from drilling," she said. "The proposed standard will aid this testing by normalizing dissolved gas analysis."
According to Jurek, the results are a direct comparison of an unknown concentration of dissolved gases in a raw sample versus a saturated water sample diluted to a known concentration. "There is no back calculation, and the sample matrices are the same as the calibration standard matrices," she said.
Subcommittee D19.09 on Water-Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids is currently developing WK43267, which will include a multi-laboratory study. All interested parties are encouraged to join in the standards developing activities of ASTM Committee D19 on Water.
See also:
"New hydraulic fracturing standards to be developed by ASTM water subcommittee"
"ASTM International elects new chair for Committee D19 on Water"
About ASTM International
ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. The organization meets the World Trade Organization principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions. For more information, visit www.astm.org.
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