27-4 Comparative Non-Targeted Analysis of Tap Water, Groundwater, Raw and Treated Produced Water Collected from the Permian Basin
Session: From Data to Decision: Integrating Geophysics, Data Systems, and Modeling for Aquifer Characterization in Data-Sparse Regions (Posters)
Poster Booth No.: 40
Presenting Author:
Thusitha DivisekaraAuthors:
Divisekara, Thusitha1, Abutokaikah, Maha2, Schum, Simeon3, Zhang, Yanyan4, Xu, Pei5(1) Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Mexico Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA, (2) Chemical Analysis and Instrumentation Laboratory (CAIL), New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA, (3) Chemical Analysis and Instrumentation Laboratory (CAIL), New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA, (4) Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA, (5) Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA,
Abstract:
The safe management, treatment, and reuse of produced water are increasingly important in water-scarce regions, offering opportunities to reduce environmental impacts from oil and gas extraction while providing a potential alternative to freshwater resources. However, the complex chemical composition of produced water required comprehensive analytical approaches. In this study, chemical composition of dissolved organic contents in four water samples, Raw produced water (Raw PW), Purified water (thermally distilled and post-treated produced water), Stored Groundwater, and Tap water collected from the Permian Basin, Texas were compared. The corresponding dissolved organic carbon concentration of the samples were recorded as 169.9 mg/L in Raw PW, 0.37 mg/L in Purified PW 16.99 mg/L in Groundwater and 1.07 mg/L in Tap water. Using positive electrospray ionization liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) non-targeted analysis, we detected 14098, 341, 1163, 289 molecular features 4829, 341, 811, and 159 molecular formulas, 204, 5, 11, 2 SIRIUS structural approximations and 83, 3,23,5 database match in Raw PW, Purified PW, Groundwater and Tap water respectively. Toxicity estimates derived from predicted structures using the EPA Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (T.E.S.T.) indicated that Raw produced water contained substantially higher numbers of predicted toxic compounds compared to the other samples, while tap water showed the lowest. Purified PW also exhibited only a few predicted molecules, suggesting effective removal during treatment.
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Comparative Non-Targeted Analysis of Tap Water, Groundwater, Raw and Treated Produced Water Collected from the Permian Basin
Category
Discipline > Water Quality
Description
Session Format: Poster
Presentation Date: 5/19/2026
Presentation Room: Alvarado D/E
Poster Booth No.: 40
Author Availability: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
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