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Publication Date
1981
Description
Oil shale, tar sands, and undergrowid coal gasification represent viable sources of fossil fuel to assist in meeting U.S. energy needs. Development of fossil-fuel-processing technologies has progressed to a point where commercialization may soon become a reality. Concurrent with this development must be the assessment and solution of environmental problems. A particular and significant problem resides in the handling, containment, treatment, disposal, use, and eventual fate of waters recovered with the oil, gas, and subsurface waters associated with synfuel-processing techniques. The magnitude of plant responses and potential phytotoxic effects resulting from exposure to these produced waters have not been evaluated, but they need to be quantified for purposes of risk assessment. To address this problem, research was conducted (1) to develop or test quantitative short-term, cost-effective, diagnostic screening procedures for testing vegetation against synfuel-produced waters; (2) using such procedures, to quantify the response of plants to these waters, and (3) to provide information for developing controlled technology. Growth responses (leaf a:rea, dry weight, root: shoot ratio, and leaf: shoot ratio) as well as germination were parameters monitored to test produced waters against vegetation wider greenhouse conditions using hydroponic techniques. Grass species respond differently to an individual water and in turn may react in changing orders of response to several waters originating from retorting various fossil fuels. Growth response varies with dilution and may be more valuable as an indicator of phytotoxicity than germination. Plant-species response to various waters can be separated and ranked to allow risk assessment, to facilitate selecting the correct species for reclamation, and, in the future, to assess the success of water-treatment procedures.
Citation
Skinner, O D.; Sexton, J C.; Moore, T S.; and Farrier, D S., "Phytotoxic Response of Five Range-Grass Species to Six In-Situ Fossil-Fuel Retort Waters" (1981). IGC Proceedings (1981-2023). 13.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1981/section3/13)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Phytotoxic Response of Five Range-Grass Species to Six In-Situ Fossil-Fuel Retort Waters
Oil shale, tar sands, and undergrowid coal gasification represent viable sources of fossil fuel to assist in meeting U.S. energy needs. Development of fossil-fuel-processing technologies has progressed to a point where commercialization may soon become a reality. Concurrent with this development must be the assessment and solution of environmental problems. A particular and significant problem resides in the handling, containment, treatment, disposal, use, and eventual fate of waters recovered with the oil, gas, and subsurface waters associated with synfuel-processing techniques. The magnitude of plant responses and potential phytotoxic effects resulting from exposure to these produced waters have not been evaluated, but they need to be quantified for purposes of risk assessment. To address this problem, research was conducted (1) to develop or test quantitative short-term, cost-effective, diagnostic screening procedures for testing vegetation against synfuel-produced waters; (2) using such procedures, to quantify the response of plants to these waters, and (3) to provide information for developing controlled technology. Growth responses (leaf a:rea, dry weight, root: shoot ratio, and leaf: shoot ratio) as well as germination were parameters monitored to test produced waters against vegetation wider greenhouse conditions using hydroponic techniques. Grass species respond differently to an individual water and in turn may react in changing orders of response to several waters originating from retorting various fossil fuels. Growth response varies with dilution and may be more valuable as an indicator of phytotoxicity than germination. Plant-species response to various waters can be separated and ranked to allow risk assessment, to facilitate selecting the correct species for reclamation, and, in the future, to assess the success of water-treatment procedures.
