scholarly journals Use of the distributions of adamantane acids to profile short-term temporal and pond-scale spatial variations in the composition of oil sands process-affected waters

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1415-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine K. Lengger ◽  
Alan G. Scarlett ◽  
Charles E. West ◽  
Richard A. Frank ◽  
L. Mark Hewitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Naphthenic Acid ◽  
Spatial Variations ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Tailings Ponds

The tricyclic naphthenic acid distributions of two tailings ponds showed industry-dependent differences and spatial, but little short-term temporal variability.

scholarly journals Quantification of methane sources in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta by aircraft mass balance

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 7361-7378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabour Baray ◽  
Andrea Darlington ◽  
Mark Gordon ◽  
Katherine L. Hayden ◽  
Amy Leithead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Surface Mining ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Emissions Inventory ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands Region ◽  
Major Surface ◽  
Tailings Ponds

Abstract. Aircraft-based measurements of methane (CH4) and other air pollutants in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) were made during a summer intensive field campaign between 13 August and 7 September 2013 in support of the Joint Canada–Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring. Chemical signatures were used to identify CH4 sources from tailings ponds (BTEX VOCs), open pit surface mines (NOy and rBC) and elevated plumes from bitumen upgrading facilities (SO2 and NOy). Emission rates of CH4 were determined for the five primary surface mining facilities in the region using two mass-balance methods. Emission rates from source categories within each facility were estimated when plumes from the sources were spatially separable. Tailings ponds accounted for 45 % of total CH4 emissions measured from the major surface mining facilities in the region, while emissions from operations in the open pit mines accounted for ∼ 50 %. The average open pit surface mining emission rates ranged from 1.2 to 2.8 t of CH4 h−1 for different facilities in the AOSR. Amongst the 19 tailings ponds, Mildred Lake Settling Basin, the oldest pond in the region, was found to be responsible for the majority of tailings ponds emissions of CH4 (> 70 %). The sum of measured emission rates of CH4 from the five major facilities, 19.2 ± 1.1 t CH4 h−1, was similar to a single mass-balance determination of CH4 from all major sources in the AOSR determined from a single flight downwind of the facilities, 23.7 ± 3.7 t CH4 h−1. The measured hourly CH4 emission rate from all facilities in the AOSR is 48 ± 8 % higher than that extracted for 2013 from the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, a legislated facility-reported emissions inventory, converted to hourly units. The measured emissions correspond to an emissions rate of 0.17 ± 0.01 Tg CH4 yr−1 if the emissions are assumed as temporally constant, which is an uncertain assumption. The emission rates reported here are relevant for the summer season. In the future, effort should be devoted to measurements in different seasons to further our understanding of the seasonal parameters impacting fugitive emissions of CH4 and to allow for better estimates of annual emissions and year-to-year variability.

scholarly journals The Effects of Naphthenic Acids on Tryptophan Metabolism and Peripheral Serotonin Signalling

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A493-A493
Author(s):  
Laiba Jamshed ◽  
Genevieve A Perono ◽  
Shanza Jamshed ◽  
Kim Ann Cheung ◽  
Philippe J Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Naphthenic Acid ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Naphthenic Acids ◽  
Tryptophan Metabolism ◽  
Lipid Homeostasis ◽  
Prostaglandin E ◽  
Serotonin Synthesis ◽  
Active Metabolites ◽  
Glucose And Lipid Homeostasis

Abstract Introduction: Serotonin produced in the periphery has been shown to affect glucose and lipid homeostasis. The availability of the amino acid tryptophan, the precursor of serotonin, affects serotonin availability. In addition, the metabolism of tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway produces physiologically active metabolites which have been shown to be altered under conditions of increased adiposity and dysglycemia. There is now evidence demonstrating some environmental xenobiotics, known to affect glucose and lipid homeostasis, can also alter serotonin production and key components of the kynurenine pathway. Recent evidence suggests that exposure to compounds present in petroleum and wastewaters from oil and gas extraction sites can impact endocrine signaling and result in aberrant lipid accumulation and altered glycemic control. However, whether any of these changes can be causally ascribed to altered serotonin synthesis/signaling or tryptophan metabolism remains unknown. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of exposure to naphthenic acid (NA), a key toxicant found in wastewater from bitumen (thick crude oil present in oil sands deposits) extraction on the enzymes involved in tryptophan metabolism and serotonin production. Methods: McA-RH7777 rat hepatoma cells, were exposed to a technical NA mixture for 48 hours at concentrations within the reported range of NA found in wastewaters from oil extraction. We assessed mRNA expression for key rate-limiting enzymes involved in tryptophan metabolism that lead to either serotonin [Tph1] and/or kynurenine [Ido2 and Tdo2] production, as well as downstream enzymes in the kynurenine pathway [Afmid, Kyat1, Aadat, Kyat3, Kmo, Haao, Acmsd, Qprt]. We also examined the effects of NA on prostaglandin synthesis [Ptgs1, Ptgs2, Ptges] and signalling [Ptger2, Ptger4] as prostaglandins have been shown to be induced by serotonin and are linked to hepatic fat accumulation. Results: NA treatment significantly increased Tph1 and Ido2 expression; this occurred in association with a significant increase in the expression of the inducible prostaglandin synthase Ptgs2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E synthase Ptges, and prostaglandin receptors Ptger2 and Ptger4. Acmsd was the only downstream enzyme in the kynurenine pathway that was significantly altered by NA treatment. Conclusion: These results provide proof-of-concept that compounds associated with oil sands extraction have the potential to perturb key components of serotonin synthesis (Tph1) and tryptophan metabolism (Ido2, Acmsd). Furthermore, we found that the increase in Tph1 expression paralleled expression of Ptgs2. As increased prostaglandin production has been reported in association with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, these data provide a potential mechanism by which exposure to NA and other petroleum-based compounds may increase the risk of metabolic disease.

Investigating the toxicity of naphthenic acid fraction components from oil sands process-affected water to developing fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianna Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Fathead Minnow ◽  
Pimephales Promelas ◽  
Naphthenic Acid ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Acid Fraction ◽  
Spinal Curvatures ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Pericardial Edema ◽  
Embryo Heart

The extraction of bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands region generates large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) that is stored in tailings ponds. Toxic constituents present in OSPW such as naphthenic acid fraction components (NAFCs) can cause adverse effects to aquatic life. Recent research has focused on the toxicity of NAFCs to highly vulnerable early life stages of fish. Here we examined the embryotoxicity of NAFCs (0-54 mg/L) extracted from OSPW to native fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) from 1-day post-fertilization to hatch in a semi-natural setting at Queen’s University’s Biological Station. Embryo heart rate, mortality, prevalence and severity of malformations at hatch, post-hatch mass, and basal activity at hatch was examined. Embryo heart rates declined with increasing NAFC concentration, preceding pronounced exposure-response patterns of mortality and non-viable hatches. Visible malformations included cardiovascular (pericardial edema; present in 81.51% of non-viable hatches), craniofacial (reduced jaw and head size; 68.96%), myoskeletal (spinal curvatures; 60.90%), and peritoneal (yolk sac edema; 26.44%) malformations, that significantly increased in severity with increasing NAFC concentration. Fish that survived lethal concentrations displayed evidence of nervous system impairment including elevated patterns of erratic twitching. Post-hatch mass generally increased with increasing NAFC exposure, potentially as a compensatory-like response. Results of this work are the first to be reported in a semi-natural exposure setting and provide important toxicological information that will aid future policy directives for the management of OSPW in Alberta, Canada.

scholarly journals Distinguishing Natural from Anthropogenic Sources of Acid Extractable Organics in Groundwater near Oil Sands Tailings Ponds

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 2790-2799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. E. Ahad ◽  
Hooshang Pakdel ◽  
Paul R. Gammon ◽  
Bernhard Mayer ◽  
Martine M. Savard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Oil Sands Tailings ◽  
Tailings Ponds ◽  
Oil Sands Tailings Ponds

The Use of Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Analysis to Characterize Food Web Changes in Aquatic Systems for Reclamation of Oil Sands Process-Affected Materials

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monalisa Elshayeb ◽  
Michael D. MacKinnon ◽  
D. George Dixon ◽  
Michael Power
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Naphthenic Acid ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Aquatic Food ◽  
Northern Alberta

Abstract One strategy for reclamation of oil sands leases in northern Alberta is the construction of lakes and wetlands by capping oil sands process-affected material (OSPM) with water. To assess this approach, experimental sites containing a range of OSPM have been constructed to monitor the evolution of the resulting aquatic habitats. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to assess the effects of OSPM on aquatic food webs. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of sediment, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon, particulate organic matter, periphyton, plants, plankton, aquatic invertebrates, and fish were used to assess differences related to the naphthenic acid (NA) concentration in OSPM and reference sites. NAs are a principal contaminant of concern in OSPM. Sites were grouped into low (0 to 4 mg/L), medium (4 to 15 mg/L), and high (>15 mg/L) NA concentrations. There were no significant differences in food web area or length among the three NA groupings. In most cases, carbon isotope analyses of samples from low, medium, and high NA concentration sites were not significantly different, suggesting that OSPM is not a significant contributor to food web carbon sources. Significant differences were found in nitrogen isotope signatures between low, medium, and high NA sites. Ammonia from OSPM is suggested as the main contributor to δ15N enrichment.

Effects of short-term rain events on mobile macrofauna living on seawalls

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1069-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Blockley ◽  
Victoria J. Cole ◽  
Julie People ◽  
M. Gabriela Palomo
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Sydney Harbour ◽  
Manipulative Experiments ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Artificial Rain ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Term Rain

The distribution and abundance of intertidal organisms can be affected by short-term events, such as rain. We compared the effects of rain on intertidal mobile invertebrates in four common microhabitats with differing amounts of shelter (namely beds of oysters, coralline turf, bare patches and crevices) on sea walls in Sydney Harbour. There was an effect of rain on some, but not all taxa, although this was not consistent between locations or times. Effects of rain were observed for some species of gastropods and crustaceans, but not for polychaetes. Manipulative experiments using artificial rain indicated that rain, without the presence of run-off and independent of potential temporal confounding from differences in weather conditions, has a negative effect on abundances of amphipods in coralline turf. Pulse responses by mobile organisms to short-term rain events should be considered when designing experiments looking at temporal variability and processes responsible for observed patterns of distribution of marine organisms.

scholarly journals Culturing oil sands microbes as mixed species communities enhances ex situ model naphthenic acid degradation

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Demeter ◽  
Joseph A. Lemire ◽  
Gordon Yue ◽  
Howard Ceri ◽  
Raymond J. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Naphthenic Acid ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Acid Degradation
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