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EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources

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Characterization of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of acrylamide in complex environmental samples

Patrick DeArmond and Amanda DiGoregorio. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. May 2013.

Summary

Acrylamide is a chemical used across a variety of industries and has been reportedly used in hydraulic fracturing fluids as a friction reducer. The EPA has classified acrylamide as a probable human carcinogen. Additionally, short- and long-term oral exposures to acrylamide have resulted in damage to the nervous system. Because of the potential hazards associated with acrylamide and its reported use in hydraulic fracturing fluids, the EPA has developed a method for quantifying acrylamide in environmental samples, including drinking water, ground water, and flowback and produced water as part of its study of the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on drinking water resources. This work was done as part of EPA's Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources.

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EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources