5 Environmental Geochemistry and Health Impacts (Posters)

This session welcomes research on contaminant occurrence, fate and transport, and impacts on human and environmental health. Interdisciplinary contributions with implications for environmental remediation and natural resources management are encouraged.

Monday, 18 May 2026
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Alvarado D/E

Influence of Treated Produced Water Chemistry on Seed Germination and Early Root Development

Paper number: 5-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Agricultural irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions is increasingly constrained by freshwater scarcity, motivating the evaluation of treated produced water from oil and gas operations as an alternative irrigation source. This study assessed the suitability of treated produced water for agricultural reuse by evaluating seed germination and early seedling growth responses across economic crops and native plant species. Seven irrigation waters, including membrane-based desalination and thermal distillation treatments at desalted and post-treated (purified) stages, were compared with control tap water under controlled laboratory conditions. Purified waters generally exhibited lower total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity, whereas several desalted waters retained elevated salinity, alkalinity, and sodium adsorption ratio. Notably, boron, ammonia, and total organic carbon were elevated in select desalted waters. Germination timing was largely consistent across water types, with no significant delays relative to control water for most species, indicating broad tolerance to treated waters. Hemp, American upland cotton, chili pepper, alfalfa, and blue grama grass showed consistently high germination, while fourwing saltbush and beard grass exhibited reduced performance across most treatments. Root length responded more strongly to treatment type than germination and shoot height. Purified membrane-based and thermal distillation waters produced the longest roots, whereas reduced root growth under desalted thermal distillation water was consistent with ammonium-related inhibition. Seedling tissue analysis confirmed adequate macronutrient uptake (K, Ca, Mg) and negligible trace metal accumulation, while sodium and boron uptake reflected irrigation water chemistry. Overall, the results demonstrate that desalting alone is insufficient for agricultural reuse and that post-treatment, particularly for boron and ammonium removal, is critical to improving produced water suitability for irrigation during early plant development.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410610

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