Determination of the phytotoxicity of barium in leach-field disposal of gas well brines

Summary A study was conducted to determine the effect of barium on yield and elemental composition of plants growing near natural gas wells. Brines containing potentially phytotoxic concentrations of barium are periodically released into leach-fields at these wells. Data on plant yield, soil and plant Ba, Ca, Mg, Na, and K concentrations, and soil pH were collected from high-barium well sites, and from greenhouse experiments using simulated brines. Barium had no detectable effect upon plant yield, and contributed only to variations in its own concentration in plants studied. Barium also exhibited biodiminution, in contrast to all other elements studied. Sodium was implicated at the major cause of phytotoxicity at gas well leach-fields. Due to interference of potassium uptake by soidum, the soil sodium/potassium ratio was found to be closely correlated with plant yield fluctuations.