Hydraulic fracturing creates large volumes of flowback and produced water (FPW). The waste is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic constituents. Although the acute toxicity of FPW to freshwater organisms has been studied, few have attempted to discern the interaction between organic and inorganic constituents within this matrix and its role in toxicity. In the present study, bioaccumulation assays (7-d uptake and 7-d elimination period) with FPW (1% dilution) were conducted with the freshwater oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, to evaluate the toxicokinetics of inorganic elements. To evaluate the interacting role of organics, bioaccumulation of elements in unmodified FPW was compared to activated carbon treated FPW (AC-modified). Differences in uptake and elimination rates as well as elimination steady state concentrations between unmodified and AC-modified treatments indicated that the organics play an important role in the uptake and depuration of inorganic elements in FPW. These differences in toxicokinetics between treatments aligned with observed growth rates in the worms which were higher in the AC-modified treatment. Whether growth differences resulted from increased accumulation and changes in toxicokinetic rates of inorganics or caused by direct toxicity from the organic fraction of FPW itself is still unknown and requires further research.

水力压裂产生大量的回流和采出水（FPW）。废物是有机和无机成分的复杂混合物。尽管已经研究了FPW对淡水生物的急性毒性，但很少有人试图辨别该基质中有机和无机成分之间的相互作用及其在毒性中的作用。在本研究中，使用淡水寡头Lu（Lumbriculus variegatus）进行了FPW（1％稀释）的生物富集测定（7天吸收和7天消除期）。，以评估无机元素的毒代动力学。为了评估有机物的相互作用，将未经修饰的FPW中元素的生物蓄积与经活性炭处理的FPW（AC修饰）进行了比较。未经修饰和经过AC修饰的处理之间在吸收和消除速率以及消除稳态浓度方面的差异表明，有机物在FPW中无机元素的吸收和净化中起着重要作用。处理之间毒代动力学的这些差异与蠕虫中观察到的生长速率一致，在AC修饰的处理中蠕虫的生长速率更高。增长差异是由于无机物累积增加和毒性动力学速率变化所导致还是由于FPW本身有机部分的直接毒性所致仍是未知的，需要进一步研究。