Although the concept of geological CO2 storage is sound, and storage projects will be engineered to the highest level in order to minimize leakage of injected CO2 to surface, a clear understanding of potential hazards is needed to best inform policy makers and the public at large. Though much research has focussed on the effects of increasing global atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plants and marine ecosystems, less is known about the effects of high, but very localised, CO2 concentrations originating from depth. This paper summarises some of the findings from the EC-funded NASCENT project (Natural Analogues for the Storage of CO2 in the Geological Environment), which studied a number of natural CO2 seeps throughout Europe. Of these, four sites were chosen for this overview paper which allowed different leakage processes and impacts to be assessed. One site was located in northern Greece, around the commercially producing Florina CO2 gas field. The other three sites were in central Italy, including: i) a selected area of the Latera geothermal complex, where natural deep CO2 migrates upwards along faults and is emitted to the atmosphere; ii) the San Vittorino intermontane basin where CO2-charged groundwaters cause extensive dissolution of limestone to form large sinkholes; and iii) the Ciampino area to the southeast of Rome, where CO2 derived from deep-seated volcanism within the Alban hills complex migrates along faults in a residential area. Work performed on these sites included soil gas, CO2 flux and aqueous geochemical surveys, as well as the development of a GIS based model for the Latera site which assesses the risk of deep gas migration to surface. Results indicate modifications in groundwater chemistry, sinkhole formation and elevated toxic gas exposure risks in these areas caused by the occurrence of numerous active CO2 vents, however data also show that effects can be spatially restricted and that health risks can be minimised with simple and inexpensive approaches and regulations.

Potential hazards of CO2 leakage in storage system - learning from natural systems / Beaubien, Stanley Eugene; Lombardi, Salvatore; Ciotoli, Giancarlo; Annunziatellis, Aldo; G., Hatziyannis; A., Metaxas; J., Pearce. - STAMPA. - Volume I: Peer Reviewed Papers and Overviews:(2005), pp. 551-560. (Intervento presentato al convegno The Seventh International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-7) tenutosi a Vancouver, Canada nel 5-9 SEPTEMBER, 2004) [10.1016/B978-008044704-9/50056-2].

Potential hazards of CO2 leakage in storage system - learning from natural systems.

BEAUBIEN, Stanley Eugene;LOMBARDI, Salvatore;CIOTOLI, Giancarlo;ANNUNZIATELLIS, Aldo;
2005

Abstract

Although the concept of geological CO2 storage is sound, and storage projects will be engineered to the highest level in order to minimize leakage of injected CO2 to surface, a clear understanding of potential hazards is needed to best inform policy makers and the public at large. Though much research has focussed on the effects of increasing global atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plants and marine ecosystems, less is known about the effects of high, but very localised, CO2 concentrations originating from depth. This paper summarises some of the findings from the EC-funded NASCENT project (Natural Analogues for the Storage of CO2 in the Geological Environment), which studied a number of natural CO2 seeps throughout Europe. Of these, four sites were chosen for this overview paper which allowed different leakage processes and impacts to be assessed. One site was located in northern Greece, around the commercially producing Florina CO2 gas field. The other three sites were in central Italy, including: i) a selected area of the Latera geothermal complex, where natural deep CO2 migrates upwards along faults and is emitted to the atmosphere; ii) the San Vittorino intermontane basin where CO2-charged groundwaters cause extensive dissolution of limestone to form large sinkholes; and iii) the Ciampino area to the southeast of Rome, where CO2 derived from deep-seated volcanism within the Alban hills complex migrates along faults in a residential area. Work performed on these sites included soil gas, CO2 flux and aqueous geochemical surveys, as well as the development of a GIS based model for the Latera site which assesses the risk of deep gas migration to surface. Results indicate modifications in groundwater chemistry, sinkhole formation and elevated toxic gas exposure risks in these areas caused by the occurrence of numerous active CO2 vents, however data also show that effects can be spatially restricted and that health risks can be minimised with simple and inexpensive approaches and regulations.
2005
The Seventh International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-7)
04 Pubblicazione in atti di convegno::04b Atto di convegno in volume
Potential hazards of CO2 leakage in storage system - learning from natural systems / Beaubien, Stanley Eugene; Lombardi, Salvatore; Ciotoli, Giancarlo; Annunziatellis, Aldo; G., Hatziyannis; A., Metaxas; J., Pearce. - STAMPA. - Volume I: Peer Reviewed Papers and Overviews:(2005), pp. 551-560. (Intervento presentato al convegno The Seventh International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-7) tenutosi a Vancouver, Canada nel 5-9 SEPTEMBER, 2004) [10.1016/B978-008044704-9/50056-2].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/173877
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