Bioremediation of hydraulic fracturing sludge

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing is an unconventional technique that has been used since the early nineties for the extraction of hydrocarbons, such as natural gas, located in sedimentary deposits of shale rocks or shales, for which it isn´t possible the extraction by conventional methods. However, although the hydraulic fracturing allows the use of these resources, has created controversy about the use of this technique, mainly because of the waste generated during the process. Such is the case of the residual sludge obtained in the backflow produced by hydraulic fracturing; in which hydrocarbons, potentially toxic elements and isotopes gamma have been founds, which are harmful to the environment and human health. For this reason it is necessary to find remediation techniques that mitigate these effects. In this article the main techniques of bioremediation are discussed as alternatives to treat the sludge generated during the process of hydraulic fracturing.