Abstract
Methane (CH4) emissions to the atmosphere from the oil and gas sector in Romania remain highly uncertain despite their relevance for the European Union’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Measurements of CH4 isotopic composition can be used for source attribution, which is important in top-down studies of emissions from extended areas. We performed isotope measurements of CH4 in atmospheric air samples collected from an aircraft (24 locations) and ground vehicles (83 locations), around oil and gas production sites in Romania, with focus on the Romanian Plain. Ethane to methane ratios were derived at 412 locations of the same fossil fuel activity clusters. The resulting isotopic signals (δ13C and δ2H in CH4) covered a wide range of values, indicating mainly thermogenic gas sources (associated with oil production) in the Romanian Plain, mostly in Prahova county (δ13C from –67.8 ± 1.2 to –22.4 ± 0.04 ‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belmnite; δ2H from –255 ± 12 to –138 ± 11 ‰ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water) but also the presence of some natural gas reservoirs of microbial origin in Dolj, Ialomiţa, Prahova, and likely Teleorman counties. The classification based on ethane data was generally in agreement with the one based on CH4 isotopic composition and confirmed the interpretation of the gas origin. In several cases, CH4 enhancements sampled from the aircraft could directly be linked to the underlying production clusters using wind data. The combination of δ13C and δ2H signals in these samples confirms that the oil and gas production sector is the main source of CH4 emissions in the target areas. We found that average CH4 isotopic signatures in Romania are significantly lower than commonly used values for the global fossil fuel emissions. Our results emphasize the importance of regional variations in CH4 isotopes, with implications for global inversion modeling studies.
Highlights
Thallium is a highly toxic element dispersed in the atmosphere, pedosphere, and hydrosphere (Liu et al, 2019; Lopez-Arce et al, 2019; Wang et al, 2020, 2021; Zhou et al, 2020)
This study aims to (1) reveal survival situation of zebrafish under different environmental-relevant Tl levels, (2) evaluate organs effects caused by long-term Tl exposure and accumulation, and (3) demonstrate the changes of the intestinal microbial composition of zebrafish induced by Tl
Summary and conclusion This study investigated the changes in gill, liver, and intestinal microorganism of zebrafish under different
Summary
Thallium is a highly toxic element dispersed in the atmosphere, pedosphere, and hydrosphere (Liu et al, 2019; Lopez-Arce et al, 2019; Wang et al, 2020, 2021; Zhou et al, 2020). Its appearance in water is mainly originated from illegal or unintentional drainage of Tl-bearing materials mining, which greatly threatens water quality and the aquatic organisms (Cheam et al, 2000; Twiss et al, 2003; Liu et al, 2018). It is reported that chronic toxic effects may occur in zebrafish when it is exposed to Tl concentration levels from 0.10 to 100 mg/L (Campanella et al, 2017; Liu et al, 2019). Several rivers in South China such as the North River in Guangdong province, the Hejiang River in Guangxi province, and Xiannv Lake in Jiangxi province were contaminated by the discharge of wastewater containing high Tl. In order to prevent potential adverse health effects caused by Tl contamination, the maximum contaminant level in drinking water was set at 0.1 mg/L in China (State Environmental Protection Administration, 2006) and 2.0 mg/L in the United States (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
