The rapid expansion of shale gas development has revolutionized global energy markets, yet it has also introduced substantial environmental challenges, particularly concerning groundwater resources. This comprehensive review systematically examines the multifaceted impacts of shale gas extraction on groundwater, with a focus on contamination mechanisms, pollutant sources, and mitigation strategies. The study identifies key operational stages—exploration, drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and flowback—as potential sources of groundwater contamination. Inorganic pollutants, including heavy metals and radionuclides, as well as organic compounds such as hydrocarbons and chemical additives, are identified as primary contaminants. The review critically evaluates current wastewater treatment technologies, including reinjection, internal reuse, and advanced desalination methods, highlighting their efficacy and limitations. Additionally, the study proposes a refined environmental management framework that integrates wellbore integrity optimization, enhanced shale gas wastewater treatment, and stringent monitoring protocols. The adoption of clean fracturing technologies and renewable energy applications is recommended to minimize environmental footprints. By establishing comprehensive baseline data and robust pollution monitoring systems, this research provides a scientific foundation for sustainable shale gas development, ensuring the protection of groundwater resources. This review emphasizes the imperative of balancing energy security with environmental sustainability, offering actionable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and environmental scientists.

The combination of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and photocatalysis has proven to be effective for organic contaminants treatment. However, the construction of an efficient catalytic material is an important challenge. Herein, novel Bi₂WO₆/BiOCl heterojunction nanocomposites were successfully designed and fabricated using a facile and effective strategy for bisphenol A (BPA) photodegradation with PMS activation. The well-designed heterojunction with improvement of the contact area and interface microstructure was obtained through in situ growth of the Bi₂WO₆ on the surface of BiOCl. The Bi₂WO₆/BiOCl nanocomposites exhibit excellent catalytic performance in PMS activation for BPA degradation under visible light irradiation. A possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism was systematically revealed. The excellent catalytic performance is mainly attributed to the strong interaction between Bi₂WO₆ and BiOCl, resulting in an enhanced photoabsorption and a more efficient interfacial charge separation and transfer. This paper provides a novel strategy to design efficient catalytic materials for organic contaminants remediation with PMS activation.

In order to remove aquatic organic dye contaminants by utilizing the inexpensive and inexhaustible solar energy, the Keggin-type H₃PW₁₂O₄₀was loaded on the surface of SiO₂with the sol-gel method and sensitized by H₂O₂solution. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) by H₃PW₁₂O₄₀/SiO₂(x) under simulated natural light irradiation was investigated. The effects of the initial RhB concentration, the solution pH, and catalyst dosage on the photocatalytic degradation rate of RhB were also studied. The results demonstrated that at optimal condition (initial concentration of methyl orange is 10 mg/L, catalyst dosage is 0.8 g, and the pH is 2.5) the degradation rate of RhB is as high as 97.7% after 2 h under simulated natural light irradiation. The reaction of photocatalysis for RhB can be expressed as a first-order kinetic model.

In this study, we prepared the SnO₂/ZnFe₂O₄ (SZ) composite magnetic photocatalyst via a two-step hydrothermal method. Structural and performance analyses revealed that SZ-5 with a ZnFe₂O₄ mass ratio of 5% (SZ-5) exhibited optimal photocatalytic activity, achieving a 72.6% degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution within 120 min. SZ-5 consisted of irregular nano blocks of SnO₂ combined with spherical nanoparticles of ZnFe₂O₄, with a saturated magnetization intensity of 1.27 emu/g. Moreover, the specific surface area of SnO₂ loaded with ZnFe₂O₄ increased, resulting in a decreased forbidden bandwidth and expanded light absorption range. The construction of a Z-type heterojunction structure between SnO₂ and ZnFe₂O₄ facilitated the migration of photogenerated charges, reduced the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, and enhanced electrical conductivity. During the photocatalytic reaction, RhB was degraded by·OH, O₂⁻, and h⁺, in which O₂⁻ played a major role.