Code Supporting the publication: A Curated Geospatial Dataset of Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing and their Functions.
Kristin K. Isaacs1,*, Antony J. Williams1, Katherine Phillips1, Michael Jayne2, and Sean Thimons2
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Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
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Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26 Martin Luther King Dr W, Cincinnati, OH 45220
*Corresponding author
Submitted for publication as of 5/13/2025.
Abstract:
Produced water is wastewater generated by the oil and gas industry as a byproduct of conventional extraction and hydraulic fracturing activities. Chemicals used in HF may affect PW quality and must be evaluated for risk to humans and ecological species when considering the conditions of PW reuse. FracFocus is a public database of chemicals used in HF where operators of wells report information either voluntarily or as mandated under specific state statutes. However, data reported to FF is not standardized in terms of either chemical identifier or chemical function during HF. Here, we develop and provide a curated geospatial database of chemicals used in HF and reported to FF, harmonized to standard chemical identifiers and function categories used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which facilitates direct linkage to its chemical exploration tools such as the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard. This harmonized dataset provides an enhanced resource to risk assessors and environmental programs when evaluating the potential impact of HF chemicals in PW reuse.
Associated files, including Input and Output files for this workflow, are available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15398036