{"id":117072,"date":"2023-04-18T09:35:37","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T13:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=117072"},"modified":"2023-04-24T13:26:22","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T17:26:22","slug":"methane-in-water-what-could-be-the-implications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/methane-in-water-what-could-be-the-implications\/","title":{"rendered":"Methane in Water: What could be the Implications?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By Sakshi Kabra Malpani, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Publishing Associate: Researcher and Writer <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at Save the Water\u2122 | April 18, 2023<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many gasses like methane are dissolved in water which acts as sources of various elements. It is a main source of carbon in water. Its implications are usually bad regarding drinking water quality and human health. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/natural-gas-star-program\/primary-sources-methane-emissions#:~:text=Methane%20emissions%20occur%20in%20all,fugitive%20leaks%2C%20and%20system%20upsets\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spills from oil and natural gas industries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> elevate its level in water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">What is Methane?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methane, or marsh gas, is an odorless, tasteless, colorless, combustible gas made of one carbon and four hydrogen atoms. It\u2019s a component of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/storage-fracking-gas-puts-new-york-finger-lakes-risk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fracking gas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and natural gas and is used as a fuel in homes. It\u2019s also considered a strong <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/saltwater-intrusion-freshwater-aquifers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">greenhouse gas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In nature, it\u2019s generally produced by the decay of vegetation and other organic matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Sources of Methane in Water Resources<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/news\/science-snippet\/waterwords-methanogen#:~:text=Methanogens%20help%20break%20down%20organic,of%20humans%20and%20other%20animals\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methanogens<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are methane producing bacteria and are one of the main sources of methane in water bodies. They produce biogenic or bacterial methane and survive in areas having less oxygen. For example, swamps, wetlands, deep oceans, lake sediments, landfills, and organic-rich glaciers. When it is produced in water, the water\u2019s surface forms bubbles, it turns milky, and looks like carbonated soda. Apart from natural sources, some human activities have also added methane to water bodies. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/natural-gas-star-program\/primary-sources-methane-emissions#:~:text=Methane%20emissions%20occur%20in%20all,fugitive%20leaks%2C%20and%20system%20upsets\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mining, well drilling, pipeline leakages, and spills from oil and natural gas industries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are just a few examples. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.0c00437\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the US, leakage of natural gas pipelines <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a major source of emission of this gas. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frwa.2022.996898\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bio-based pesticides used for mosquito control treatment <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can also increase its emissions in ponds.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Is it Toxic?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methane does not cause serious health problems in human beings, but it can create many safety issues, like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methane, when accumulated in a small, closed space, can displace air. Thus, it can cause suffocation or choking due to lack of oxygen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s flammable, and can cause troubles like fires and explosions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In water pipelines, its accumulation can cause loud noises, banging, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can increase pressure in water pipelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">How can it Affect Water?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At higher concentrations, this gas can escape from water. When it\u2019s collected in poorly ventilated spaces like wells, bathrooms, and washrooms, it can cause explosions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methane can change the chemistry of water, making it unfit for drinking. It helps in releasing iron and manganese in water and as a result, changes the taste of water. It can also stain pipelines and plumbing fixtures. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/communities\/environment\/water\/wells\/waterquality\/methane.html#:~:text=It%20is%20not%20known%20to,well%20pump%20and%20water%20system\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corrosion, plugging, and problems in pumping water<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are other noteworthy consequences of elevated methane levels in water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucsusa.org\/resources\/environmental-impacts-natural-gas#references\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier, Ohio and Pennsylvania<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have witnessed many cases of water contamination by methane<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> How much methane in water can form an explosive mixture depends on various factors like temperature of water, ventilation conditions, gas composition, air movement, and many more. The Office of Surface Mining and the Department of the Interior suggests that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.psu.edu\/methane-gas-and-its-removal-from-water-wells\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the concentration of this gas above 28 mg\/L is a risky level<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and should be reduced immediately. However, water bodies with its concentrations below 10 mg\/L can be considered safe for use.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Ways to Detect and Remove Methane from Water<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are several conventional and advanced ways to detect and remove methane from water bodies. Gurgling noises, spitting faucets, and gas bubbles are its clear indicators. Gas detectors and meters can also detect its presence. Water testing laboratories can also test methane in water. During this process, a specialized sample is collected and tested in laboratories. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/acc118\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Satellite remote sensing techniques like the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TROPOMI)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can also test its emission levels. At significantly higher levels, there are a number of ways to remove it from water bodies. In water treatment plants, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-4441\/15\/6\/1044\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aeration and vacuum stripping methods<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are used to remove this gas<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Above all, we can also take the following safety measures to reduce its levels in water bodies:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular monitoring and testing of water bodies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Installing a vent and water treatment units in our wells.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Installing a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/communities\/environment\/water\/wells\/waterquality\/methane.html#:~:text=It%20is%20not%20known%20to,well%20pump%20and%20water%20system\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gas shroud<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in our wells. It\u2019s a tube or pipe connected over a water pump that leaves methane-reduced water in the shroud.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Sakshi Kabra Malpani, Publishing Associate: Researcher and Writer at Save the Water\u2122 | April 18, 2023&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12894,"featured_media":117073,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,52],"tags":[179,195,547],"yst_prominent_words":[1700,1316],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117072"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117072"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117081,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117072\/revisions\/117081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117072"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=117072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}