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Stalwick JA, Somers G, Eccles KM, Thomas PJ, Cunada C, Gurney KEB. Polycyclic aromatic compounds in a northern freshwater ecosystem: Patterns, sources, and the influences of environmental factors. Environ Pollut 2024; 351:123962. [PMID: 38614424 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) - a large group of organic chemicals naturally present in petroleum deposits (i.e., petrogenic) or released into the environment by incomplete combustion of organic materials (i.e., pyrogenic) - represent a potential risk to the health of aquatic ecosystems. In high latitude freshwater ecosystems, concentrations of PACs may be increasing, yet there are limited studies in such systems to assess change and to understand threats. Using 10 years of contemporary data from passive samplers deployed across five regions (n = 43 sites) in the Mackenzie River Basin, we (i) describe baseline levels of PACs, (ii) assess spatiotemporal patterns, and (iii) evaluate the extent to which environmental factors (fire, snowmelt, and proximity to oil infrastructure) influence concentrations in this system. Measured concentrations were low, relative to those in more southern systems, with mixtures primarily being dominated by non-alkylated, low molecular weight compounds. Concentrations were spatially consistent, except for two sites near Norman Wells (an area of active oil extraction) with increased levels. Similarly, observed annual variation was minimal, with 2014 having generally higher levels of PACs. We did not detect effects of fire, snowmelt, or oil infrastructure on concentrations. Taken together, our findings suggest that PACs in the Mackenzie River are currently at low levels and are primarily petrogenic in origin. They further indicate that ongoing monitoring and testing of environmental drivers (especially at finer spatial scales) are needed to better predict how ecosystem change will influence PAC levels in the basin and in other northern systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordyn A Stalwick
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Prairie Northern Wildlife Research Centre, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 0X4.
| | - Gila Somers
- Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories, 600 5102 50th Ave, Yellowknife, NT, Canada, X1A 2L9
| | - Kristin M Eccles
- Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0K9
| | - Philippe J Thomas
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0H3
| | - Christopher Cunada
- Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories, Highway 5, X0E 0P0, Fort Smith, NT, Canada
| | - Kirsty E B Gurney
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Prairie Northern Wildlife Research Centre, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 0X4
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Altshuler SL, Ahad JME, Chow JC, Duane C, Dubé M, Legge AH, Percy KE, Stevenson ED, Watson JG. Advances in science and applications in air pollution monitoring: A case study on oil sands monitoring targeting ecosystem protection. J Air Waste Manag Assoc 2019; 69:1133-1141. [PMID: 31437101 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2019.1659192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason M E Ahad
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada , Québec , QC , Canada
| | - Judith C Chow
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xi'an, Shaanxi Province , People's Republic of China
- Desert Research Institute , Reno , NV , USA
| | - Calvin Duane
- Canadian Natural Resources Limited , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
| | - Monique Dubé
- Integrated Environmental Analytics & Prediction Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks , Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
| | | | - Kevin E Percy
- Atlantic Forest Research Collaborative, University of New Brunswick , Fredericton , New Brunswick , Canada
| | - Eric D Stevenson
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - John G Watson
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xi'an, Shaanxi Province , People's Republic of China
- Desert Research Institute , Reno , NV , USA
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Fernie KJ, Marteinson SC, Chen D, Eng A, Harner T, Smits JEG, Soos C. Elevated exposure, uptake and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) through multiple exposure routes in active mining-related areas of the Athabasca oil sands region. Sci Total Environ 2018; 624:250-261. [PMID: 29253773 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In the Athabasca Oil Sands (OS) Region, the exposure (by air, water, diet), uptake and deposition of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), including parent and alkylated hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dibenzothiophenes (DBTs), was assessed in nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at mining-related (OS1, OS2) and reference (REF) sites. The OS sites did not receive oil-sands processed waters (OSPW) and were ≥60km from the reference sites. Most of the 42 PACs (≤98%) were detected in all matrices. Swallows at the OS sites were exposed to higher air and water concentrations of individual PAC congeners, ΣPACs, Σparent-PAHs, Σalkyl-PAHs and ΣDBTs. Compared to reference nestlings (ΣPACs: 13-27ng/g wet weight (ww)), PACs were significantly higher in OS nestlings (31-106ng/gww) that also accumulated higher concentrations of major PAHs (i.e., naphthalene, C1-naphthalene, C2-naphthalene, C1-fluorenes, C2-fluorenes, C1-phenanthrenes) measured in 60% of nestlings. Uptake and deposition of PAHs in the birds' muscle was related to diet (δ15N: C1-naphthalenes, C2-naphthalenes, C1-fluorenes), water (C1-phenanthrenes), and air through inhalation and feather preening (C1-fluorenes), but fecal concentrations were not well explained by diet or environmental concentrations. While PAH concentrations were much higher in muscle than feces, they were highly correlated (p≤0.001 for all). Thus feces may represent a non-lethal method for characterizing PAH exposure of birds, with muscle characterizing accumulation and sources of PAH exposure. Tree swallows in the Athabasca OS Region are exposed to many PACs, accumulating higher concentrations when developing in close proximity to mining activity through diet, aerial deposition and mining-impacted freshwater sources (e.g., wetlands).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health Division, Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 1A2, Canada.
| | - Sarah C Marteinson
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health Division, Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 1A2, Canada
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China.
| | - Anita Eng
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Tom Harner
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Judit E G Smits
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Catherine Soos
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health Division, Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 115 Perimeter Rd, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
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Birks SJ, Cho S, Taylor E, Yi Y, Gibson JJ. Characterizing the PAHs in surface waters and snow in the Athabasca region: Implications for identifying hydrological pathways of atmospheric deposition. Sci Total Environ 2017. [PMID: 28646776 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in snow and surface waters in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) was characterized in order to identify major contributors to the organics detected in rivers and lakes in the region. PAH concentrations, measured by three monitoring programs in 2011, were used to compare the PAH compositions of snow and surface waters across the AOSR. The 2011 dataset includes total (dissolved+particulate) concentrations of thirty-four parent and alkylated PAH compounds in 105 snow, 272 river, and 3 lake samples. The concentration of PAHs in rivers varies seasonally, with the highest values observed in July. The timing of increases in PAH concentrations in rivers coincides with the high river discharge during the spring freshet, indicating that this major hydrological event may play an important role in delivering PAHs to rivers. However, the composition of PAHs present in rivers during this period differs from the composition of PAHs present in snow, suggesting that direct runoff and release of PAHs accumulated on snow may not be the major source of PAHs to the Athabasca River and its tributaries. Instead, snowmelt may contribute indirectly to increases in PAHs due to hydrological processes such as erosion of stream channels, remobilization of PAH-containing sediments, increased catchment runoff, and snowmelt-induced groundwater inputs during this dynamic hydrologic period. Better understanding of transformations of PAH profiles during transport along surface and subsurface flow paths in wetland-dominated boreal catchments would improve identification of potential sources and pathways in the region. The compositional differences highlight the challenges in identifying the origins of PAHs in a region with multiple potential natural and anthropogenic sources particularly when the potential transport pathways include air, soil and water.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Birks
- InnoTech Alberta, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A6, Canada; Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3R4, Canada.
| | - S Cho
- Government of Alberta, Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1G4, Canada
| | - E Taylor
- InnoTech Alberta, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A6, Canada
| | - Y Yi
- InnoTech Alberta, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada; Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3R4, Canada
| | - J J Gibson
- InnoTech Alberta, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada; Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3R4, Canada
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Munkittrick KR, Arciszewski TJ. Using normal ranges for interpreting results of monitoring and tiering to guide future work: A case study of increasing polycyclic aromatic compounds in lake sediments from the Cold Lake oil sands (Alberta, Canada) described in Korosi et al. (2016). Environ Pollut 2017; 231:1215-1222. [PMID: 28760527 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.07.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Since the publishing of the Kelly et al. papers (2009, 2010) describing elevated contaminants in snow near the Alberta oil sands, there has been a significant expansion of monitoring efforts, enhanced by $50M a year contributed by industry to a regional Joint Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program. In parallel to the intensification of research and monitoring efforts, including expansion of measured indicators, techniques for chemical analysis have also become more sensitive. Both factors contribute to the increased sensitivity and power, and improve our capacity to detect any change. The increase in capability requires a counterbalance to account for trivial change. This can be done using an interpretative approach that requires contextualization of differences to meaningfully inform environmental monitoring programs and provide focus for action. Experience obtained through 25 years of involvement with Canada's Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program has shown that a tiered program informed by triggers can provide the context to make decisions about monitoring priorities. Here we provide a potential interpretation framework using a case study around the Korosi et al. (2016) study which found recent increases in alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (aPACs) in the Cold Lake in situ oil sands area. Public contaminant profiles from the JOSM studies in the oil sands region are used to evaluate the changes using an interpretation framework based on estimated normal ranges using existing data for site-specific, local and regional (distant) levels that was modelled after the tiered Canadian EEM design.
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