Emerging analytical methods for the characterization and quantification of organic contaminants in flowback and produced water

Flowback and produced waters are extremely complex matrices composed of geogenic water and chemical additives. The geogenic fraction may contain large amounts of total dissolved solids as well as various hydrocarbons, organic acids, alcohols, radionuclides, and metals. The additives may include surfactants, gels, scale inhibitors, biocides, and friction reducers. Recently, it has been suggested that these produced waters could potentially represent a new water source in areas of water scarcity. Before the use of these waters can be considered for applications outside the oil field, the chemical composition must be better characterized. However, due to the complex nature of these matrices, many methods originally designed for surface and groundwater matrices may not be suitable. In addition, many organic chemicals remain yet unidentified: targeted approaches for organic chemical analysis alone will be insufficient for complete organic chemical characterization. We assessed current trends and emerging technologies in analytical chemistry and reviewed and their applicability to flowback and produced waters. In addition, we propose under-utilized approaches that may serve as potential solutions to address the issues created by the complex matrices inherent to flowback and produced waters.