Natural Gas Pipeline Leaks Across Washington, DC

• DOI: 10.1021/es404474x
• Publication Date: 2014-01-16T13:00:50Z
• Authors: Robert B. Jackson; Adrian Down; Nathan G. Phillips; Robert C. Ackley; Charles W. Cook; Desiree L. Plata; Kaiguang Zhao
• Keywords: Gas Pipeline

Pipeline safety in the United States has increased recent decades, but incidents involving natural gas pipelines still cause an average of 17 fatalities and $133 M property damage annually. Natural leaks are also largest anthropogenic source greenhouse methane (CH4) U.S. To reduce pipeline leakage increase consumer safety, we deployed a Picarro G2301 Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer car, mapping 5893 (2.5 to 88.6 ppm CH4) across 1500 road miles Washington, DC. The δ13C-isotopic signatures (−38.2‰ ± 3.9‰ s.d.) ethane (−36.5 1.1 CH4:C2H6 ratios (25.5 8.9 closely matched (−39.0‰ −36.2‰ for ethane; 19.0 CH4/C2H6). Emissions from four street ranged 9200 38 200 L CH4 day–1 each, comparable used by 1.7 7.0 homes, respectively. At 19 tested locations, 12 potentially explosive (Grade 1) concentrations 50 000 500 were detected manholes. Financial incentives targeted programs among companies, public utility commissions, scientists replace old cast-iron pipes will improve air quality, save money, lower emissions.