1
|
Slater GF, Goad CA, Lindsay MBJ, Mumford KG, Colenbrander Nelson TE, Brady AL, Jessen GL, Warren LA. Isotopic and Chemical Assessment of the Dynamics of Methane Sources and Microbial Cycling during Early Development of an Oil Sands Pit Lake. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122509. [PMID: 34946113 PMCID: PMC8703832 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Water-capped tailings technology (WCTT) is a key component of the reclamation strategies in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) of northeastern Alberta, Canada. The release of microbial methane from tailings emplaced within oil sands pit lakes, and its subsequent microbial oxidation, could inhibit the development of persistent oxygen concentrations within the water column, which are critical to the success of this reclamation approach. Here, we describe the results of a four-year (2015-2018) chemical and isotopic (δ13C) investigation into the dynamics of microbial methane cycling within Base Mine Lake (BML), the first full-scale pit lake commissioned in the AOSR. Overall, the water-column methane concentrations decreased over the course of the study, though this was dynamic both seasonally and annually. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) distributions and δ13C demonstrated that dissolved methane, primarily input via fluid fine tailings (FFT) porewater advection, was oxidized by the water column microbial community at all sampling times. Modeling and under-ice observations indicated that the dissolution of methane from bubbles during ebullition, or when trapped beneath ice, was also an important source of dissolved methane. The addition of alum to BML in the fall of 2016 impacted the microbial cycling in BML, leading to decreased methane oxidation rates, the short-term dominance of a phototrophic community, and longer-term shifts in the microbial community metabolism. Overall, our results highlight a need to understand the dynamic nature of these microbial communities and the impact of perturbations on the associated biogeochemical cycling within oil sands pit lakes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Greg F. Slater
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.A.G.); (A.L.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Corey A. Goad
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.A.G.); (A.L.B.)
| | - Matthew B. J. Lindsay
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada;
| | - Kevin G. Mumford
- Department of Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada;
| | - Tara E. Colenbrander Nelson
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada; (T.E.C.N.); (L.A.W.)
| | - Allyson L. Brady
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.A.G.); (A.L.B.)
| | - Gerdhard L. Jessen
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Faculated de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile;
| | - Lesley A. Warren
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada; (T.E.C.N.); (L.A.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Manaj S, Kim ST. Techniques for measuring carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of atmospheric CO 2 via isotope ratio mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e8995. [PMID: 33140500 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Measuring the stable isotope compositions of atmospheric CO2 is common in earth and atmospheric sciences, and various analytical methods have been developed utilizing continuous-flow (CF) or dual-inlet (DI) isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Air is typically collected via passive, manual, or automated collection methods and the volume of the air sample ranges from 10 to 300 mL for CF-IRMS to >1 L for DI-IRMS to yield a measurable amount of atmospheric CO2 gas. It has been determined that the integrity of vials and flasks for air sample storage can be compromised after 3 days of air collection for δ13 C values and within 10 hours for δ18 O values. Air samples must be purified after collection to remove constituents of air, such as Ar, O2 , N2 , N2 O, and water vapor, to avoid isobaric interferences during mass spectrometric measurement. Purification is generally undertaken by utilizing commercial or custom-made preconcentration devices, the blanking method for CF-IRMS, or an offline/online cryogenic separation using a vacuum line for DI-IRMS. Ambient N2 O is a component of air that may affect analytical results and thus must either be corrected for or be removed using a gas chromatographic column. In some cases, water is removed during air collection by using a common chemical desiccant, magnesium perchlorate (Mg(ClO4 )2 ), or by a dry ice/alcohol mixture (-78°C). Lastly, a linearity issue for IRMS due to the low amount of purified CO2 from a typical ambient air sample must be considered. In general, analytical precisions of 0.02-0.21‰ and 0.04-0.34‰ for CF-IRMS and 0.01-0.02‰ and 0.01-0.02‰ for DI-IRMS are expected for δ13 C and δ18 O measurements, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Savio Manaj
- School of Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sang-Tae Kim
- School of Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dos Santos VHJM, Laroque DO, Baum CI, de M Engelmann P, Lourega RV, Rodrigues LF. Evaluation of different samplers and storage temperature effect on the methane carbon stable isotope analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2018; 190:573. [PMID: 30191325 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6934-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The present work evaluates the efficiency of some low-cost sampler container for a reliable carbon stable isotope analysis of methane. The procedure efficiency was evaluated for five containers, through 91 days, under two storage temperatures (4 °C and 25 °C) and the results are compared against a reference sampler by using univariate and multivariate statistical methods. Based on the univariate (ANOVA and comparison statistical methods) and multivariate (PCA and HCA) statistical methods, it was identified that (i) the isotopic value changes with time and, in this way, must be taken in account when choosing the appropriate sampler and (ii) the lower temperature reduces the isotopic fractionation process and is preferable for the gas sample storage. Among the storage systems, two options were found to be statistically equivalent to the reference container (IsoJar) for a time horizon of 91 days. We found that the exetainer (4 °C and 25 °C) storage systems are statistically equivalent to the reference container IsoJar and, in this way, it could be an alternative for the methane isotopic studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor H J M Dos Santos
- Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Building 96J, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Diane O Laroque
- Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Building 96J, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Caroline I Baum
- Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Building 96J, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Pâmela de M Engelmann
- Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Building 96J, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Rogério V Lourega
- Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Building 96J, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Luiz F Rodrigues
- Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Building 96J, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Obersky L, Rafiee R, Cabral AR, Golding SD, Clarke WP. Methodology to determine the extent of anaerobic digestion, composting and CH 4 oxidation in a landfill environment. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 76:364-373. [PMID: 29798807 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
An examination of the processes contributing to the production of landfill greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is required, as the actual level to which waste degrades anaerobically and aerobically beneath covers has not been differentiated. This paper presents a methodology to distinguish between the rate of anaerobic digestion (rAD), composting (rCOM) and CH4 oxidation (rOX) in a landfill environment, by means of a system of mass balances developed for molecular species (CH4, CO2) and stable carbon isotopes (δ13C-CO2 and δ13C-CH4). The technique was applied at two sampling locations on a sloped area of landfill. Four sampling rounds were performed over an 18 month period after a 1.0 m layer of fresh waste and 30-50 cm of silty clay loam had been placed over the area. Static chambers were used to measure the flux of the molecular and isotope species at the surface and soil gas probes were used to collect gas samples at depths of approximately 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m. Mass balances were based on the surface flux and the concentration of the molecular and isotopic species at the deepest sampling depth. The sensitivity of calculated rates was considered by randomly varying stoichiometric and isotopic parameters by ±5% to generate at least 500 calculations of rOX, rAD and rCOM for each location in each sampling round. The resulting average value of rAD and rCOM indicated anaerobic digestion and composting were equally dominant at both locations. Average values of rCOM: ranged from 9.8 to 44.5 g CO2 m-2 d-1 over the four sampling rounds, declining monotonically at one site and rising then falling at the other. Average values of rAD: ranged from 10.6 to 45.3 g CO2 m-2 d-1. Although the highest average rAD value occurred in the initial sampling round, all subsequent rAD values fell between 10 and 20 g CO2 m-2 d-1. rOX had the smallest activity contribution at both sites, with averages ranging from 1.6 to 8.6 g CO2 m-2 d-1. This study has demonstrated that for an interim cover, composting and anaerobic digestion of shallow landfill waste can occur simultaneously.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lizanne Obersky
- Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, Schools of Civil and Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Reza Rafiee
- Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, Schools of Civil and Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, 31536, Iran
| | - Alexandre R Cabral
- Geoenvironmental Group, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Suzanne D Golding
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - William P Clarke
- Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, Schools of Civil and Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Determining Carbon Kinetic Isotope Effects Using Headspace Analysis of Evolved CO 2. Methods Enzymol 2017. [PMID: 28911782 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) provides accurate measurements of relative abundance of isotopes of heavy atoms for reactions that are subject to kinetic isotope effects (KIEs). The recent development of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) allows the use of multiple time points that provide data for a rate plot as well as isotope ratios. Utilizing CSIA in enzymology presents opportunities for obtaining heavy atom KIEs in diverse areas.
Collapse
|
6
|
Humez P, Mayer B, Ing J, Nightingale M, Becker V, Kingston A, Akbilgic O, Taylor S. Occurrence and origin of methane in groundwater in Alberta (Canada): Gas geochemical and isotopic approaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 541:1253-1268. [PMID: 26476065 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
To assess potential future impacts on shallow aquifers by leakage of natural gas from unconventional energy resource development it is essential to establish a reliable baseline. Occurrence of methane in shallow groundwater in Alberta between 2006 and 2014 was assessed and was ubiquitous in 186 sampled monitoring wells. Free and dissolved gas sampling and measurement approaches yielded comparable results with low methane concentrations in shallow groundwater, but in 28 samples from 21 wells methane exceeded 10mg/L in dissolved gas and 300,000 ppmv in free gas. Methane concentrations in free and dissolved gas samples were found to increase with well depth and were especially elevated in groundwater obtained from aquifers containing coal seams and shale units. Carbon isotope ratios of methane averaged -69.7 ± 11.1‰ (n=63) in free gas and -65.6 ± 8.9‰ (n=26) in dissolved gas. δ(13)C values were not found to vary with well depth or lithology indicating that methane in Alberta groundwater was derived from a similar source. The low δ(13)C values in concert with average δ(2)HCH4 values of -289 ± 44‰ (n=45) suggest that most methane was of biogenic origin predominantly generated via CO2 reduction. This interpretation is confirmed by dryness parameters typically >500 due to only small amounts of ethane and a lack of propane in most samples. Comparison with mud gas profile carbon isotope data revealed that methane in the investigated shallow groundwater in Alberta is isotopically similar to hydrocarbon gases found in 100-250 meter depths in the WCSB and is currently not sourced from thermogenic hydrocarbon occurrences in deeper portions of the basin. The chemical and isotopic data for methane gas samples obtained from Alberta groundwater provide an excellent baseline against which potential future impact of deeper stray gases on shallow aquifers can be assessed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Humez
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - B Mayer
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - J Ing
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - M Nightingale
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - V Becker
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - A Kingston
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - O Akbilgic
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; UTHSC-ORNL Center for Biomedical Informatics, 910 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38104, USA
| | - S Taylor
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|