Assessing the Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Stream Health using Biofilm Diversity

Teagan Kuzniar*, Rachel Michaels, Ember Morrissey, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506

Field (Broad Category): Environmental Science & Sustainability (Biological & Biochemical Sciences) 

Student’s Major: Biology and Spanish 

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” is a method of gas and oil extraction that involves injecting high pressure liquids into bedrock, which causes a fracture and allows oil and gas to flow. Within the U.S. during 2015, there were 1.5 million active wells that produced 14 billion gallons of wastewater. Mismanagement of wastewater at fracking wells can lead to ground and surface water pollution that has the potential to impact ecosystems, including freshwater streams. Research on the effects of wastewater and other byproducts of hydraulic fracturing on streams is limited. Stream biofilms are layers of microorganisms, such as bacteria and algae, that adhere to benthic surfaces. Biofilms are the base of the stream food web; they fix gases, recycle organic matter, and serve as a food source for other stream life including invertebrates and fish. Therefore, stress in these communities will impact the entire ecosystem. This study aims to explore the effects of hydraulic fracturing on streams by examining the biodiversity of bacteria and algae in biofilms close to hydraulic fracturing sites. We collected biofilm samples from 26 streams within WV: 19 impacted sites and 7 reference sites. We completed DNA extractions and are currently performing PCR on the eukaryotic 18S gene, which will be sequenced to determine algal biodiversity. We hypothesize an alteration to composition of microbial communities in streams close to hydraulic fracturing sites. This research will help to build a better understanding of how hydraulic fracturing affects microbial communities, and therefore, broader ecosystem function. 

Funding: National Science Foundation 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: Other Paid Student Worker (not Work Study)