Illegal dumping of oil and gas wastewater alters arid soil microbial communities.

ABSTRACT: The Permian Basin, underlying southeast New Mexico and west Texas, is one of the most productive oil and gas (OG) provinces in the United States. Oil and gas production yields large volumes of wastewater with complex chemistries, and the environmental health risks posed by these OG wastewaters on sensitive desert ecosystems are poorly understood. Starting in November 2017, 39 illegal dumps, as defined by federal and state regulations, of OG wastewater were identified in southeastern New Mexico, releasing ~600,000 L of fluid onto dryland soils. To evaluate the impacts of these releases, we analyzed changes in soil geochemistry and microbial community composition by comparing soils from within OG wastewater dump-affected samples to unaffected zones. We observed significant changes in soil ge

SUBMITTER: Kashani M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10880632 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature