Removing Methanol Additives from Fracking Fluids

Methanol additives used in fracking fluids are harmful
to both the environment and to public health. This
is because methanol is a hazardous air pollutant and
can contaminate the groundwater. The EPA estimates
32.5 tons of methanol is released into the environment
each year. The aim of this study is to test the
removal efficiency of methanol additives from fracking
fluids using advanced oxidation technology with
hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet energy instead of
more expensive methods such as flash evaporation.
The first experiment tested different dilutions of water
and methanol (30-1000 ppm) with five percent hydrogen
peroxide. Then, the samples were exposed to
ultraviolet radiation for several time periods ranging
from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. Results showed 97.3%
or higher removal at 20 minutes. Continued research
in this field will allow for fracking wastewater to be
treated effectively, so that it is safe to discharge into
the environment.