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Ahad JME, Pakdel H, Labarre T, Cooke CA, Gammon PR, Savard MM. Isotopic Analyses Fingerprint Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Compound-Bearing Dust in Athabasca Oil Sands Region Snowpack. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:5887-5897. [PMID: 33856192 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fugitive dust associated with surface mining activities is one of the principal vectors for transport of airborne contaminants in Canada's Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR). Effective environmental management requires quantitative identification of the sources of this dust. Using natural abundance radiocarbon (Δ14C) and dual (δ13C, δ2H) compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), this study investigated the sources of dust and particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) deposited in AOSR lake snowpack. Lower Δ14C values, higher particulate and PAC loadings, and lower δ13C values for phenanthrene and C1-alkylated phenanthrenes/anthracenes (C1-Phen) at sites closer to the mining operations indicated unprocessed oil sand and/or petroleum coke (petcoke-a byproduct of bitumen upgrading) as major sources of anthropogenic fugitive dust. However, a Bayesian isotopic mixing model that incorporated both δ13C and δ2H could discriminate petcoke from oil sand, and determined that petcoke comprised between 44 and 95% (95% credibility intervals) of a C1-Phen isomer at lakes <25 km from the heart of the mining operations, making it by far the most abundant source. This study is the first to demonstrate the potential of CSIA to provide accurate PAC source apportionment in snowpack and reveals that petcoke rather than oil sand is the main source of mining-related particulate PACs deposited directly to AOSR lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M E Ahad
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Hooshang Pakdel
- INRS Eau Terre Environnement, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Thibault Labarre
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Colin A Cooke
- Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5C6, Canada
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Paul R Gammon
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada
| | - Martine M Savard
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
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Muir DCG, Galarneau E. Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the Canadian environment: Links to global change. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 273:116425. [PMID: 33460875 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this review, global change processes have been linked to polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in Canada and a first national budget of sources and sinks has been derived. Sources are dominated by wildfire emissions that affect western and northern regions of Canada disproportionately due to the location of Pacific and boreal forests and the direction of prevailing winds. Wildfire emissions are projected to increase under climate warming along with releases from the thawing of glaciers and permafrost. Residential wood combustion, domestic transportation and industry contribute the bulk of anthropogenic emissions, though they are substantially smaller than wildfire emissions and are not expected to change considerably in coming years. Other sources such as accidental spills, deforestation, and re-emission of previous industrial deposition are expected to contribute anthropogenic and biogenic PACs to nearby ecosystems. PAC sinks are less well-understood. Atmospheric deposition is similar in magnitude to anthropogenic sources. Considerable knowledge gaps preclude the estimation of environmental transformations and transboundary flows, and assessing the importance of climate change relative to shifts in population distribution and energy production is not yet possible. The outlook for PACs in the Arctic is uncertain due to conflicting assessments of competing factors and limited measurements, some of which provide a baseline but have not been followed up in recent years. Climate change has led to an increase in primary productivity in the Arctic Ocean, but PAC-related impacts on marine biota appear to be modest. The net effect of changes in ecological exposure from changing emissions and environmental conditions throughout Canada remains to be seen. Evidence suggests that the PAC budget at the national scale does not represent impacts at the local or regional level. The ability to assess future trends depends on improvements to Canada's environmental measurement strategy and biogeochemical modelling capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S1A1, Canada.
| | - Elisabeth Galarneau
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T4, Canada
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Ahad JME, Macdonald RW, Parrott JL, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Siddique T, Kuznetsova A, Rauert C, Galarneau E, Studabaker WB, Evans M, McMaster ME, Shang D. Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the Canadian environment: A review of sampling techniques, strategies and instrumentation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 266:114988. [PMID: 32679437 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of sampling techniques and strategies are needed to analyze polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and interpret their distributions in various environmental media (i.e., air, water, snow, soils, sediments, peat and biological material). In this review, we provide a summary of commonly employed sampling methods and strategies, as well as a discussion of routine and innovative approaches used to quantify and characterize PACs in frequently targeted environmental samples, with specific examples and applications in Canadian investigations. The pros and cons of different analytical techniques, including gas chromatography - flame ionization detection (GC-FID), GC low-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-LRMS), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet, fluorescence or MS detection, GC high-resolution MS (GC-HRMS) and compound-specific stable (δ13C, δ2H) and radiocarbon (Δ14C) isotope analysis are considered. Using as an example research carried out in Canada's Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR), where alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur-containing dibenzothiophenes are frequently targeted, the need to move beyond the standard list of sixteen EPA priority PAHs and for adoption of an AOSR bitumen PAC reference standard are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M E Ahad
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada.
| | - Robie W Macdonald
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada
| | - Joanne L Parrott
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Zeyu Yang
- Emergencies Science and Technology Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Tariq Siddique
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G7, Canada
| | - Alsu Kuznetsova
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G7, Canada
| | - Cassandra Rauert
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Galarneau
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T4, Canada
| | | | - Marlene Evans
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Mark E McMaster
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Dayue Shang
- Pacific Environmental Science Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, North Vancouver, BC, V7H 1B1, Canada
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Thienpont JR, Korosi JB, Hargan KE, Williams T, Eickmeyer DC, Kimpe LE, Palmer MJ, Smol JP, Blais JM. Multi-trophic level response to extreme metal contamination from gold mining in a subarctic lake. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1125. [PMID: 27534958 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Giant Mine, located in the city of Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada), is a dramatic example of subarctic legacy contamination from mining activities, with remediation costs projected to exceed $1 billion. Operational between 1948 and 2004, gold extraction at Giant Mine released large quantities of arsenic and metals from the roasting of arsenopyrite ore. We examined the long-term ecological effects of roaster emissions on Pocket Lake, a small lake at the edge of the Giant Mine lease boundary, using a spectrum of palaeoenvironmental approaches. A dated sedimentary profile tracked striking increases (approx. 1700%) in arsenic concentrations coeval with the initiation of Giant Mine operations. Large increases in mercury, antimony and lead also occurred. Synchronous changes in biological indicator assemblages from multiple aquatic trophic levels, in both benthic and pelagic habitats, indicate dramatic ecological responses to extreme metal(loid) contamination. At the peak of contamination, all Cladocera, a keystone group of primary consumers, as well as all planktonic diatoms, were functionally lost from the sediment record. No biological recovery has been inferred, despite the fact that the bulk of metal(loid) emissions occurred more than 50 years ago, and the cessation of all ore-roasting activities in Yellowknife in 1999.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Thienpont
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Jennifer B Korosi
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Kathryn E Hargan
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Trisha Williams
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - David C Eickmeyer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Michael J Palmer
- NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program, Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada X1A 3S8
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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Korosi JB, Cooke CA, Eickmeyer DC, Kimpe LE, Blais JM. In-situ bitumen extraction associated with increased petrogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds in lake sediments from the Cold Lake heavy oil fields (Alberta, Canada). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:915-922. [PMID: 27554977 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Most future growth in the Alberta bituminous sands will be based on thermal in-situ recovery technologies. To date, however, most attention on the environmental effects of bitumen recovery has focused on surface mining in the Athabasca region. Recent uncontrolled bitumen flow-to-surface incidents (FTS; appearance at the surface of bitumen emulsions from deep subsurface recovery zones) reported at the Cold Lake heavy oil fields highlight the need to better understand the potential role of in-situ extraction as a source of contaminants to landscapes and surface waters. We analyzed sediment cores from a lake located ∼2 km away from a recent bitumen FTS incident to provide a long-term perspective on the delivery of metals, polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to surface freshwaters, and to assess whether the onset of local in-situ bitumen extraction can be linked to contaminant increases in nearby lakes. An increase in alkyl PACs coincided with the onset and expansion of commercial in-situ bitumen extraction, and multiple lines of evidence indicate a petrogenic source for recent alkyl PAC enrichment. However, no coincident increase in vanadium (enriched in bitumen) occurred that would suggest the source of petrogenic PAC enrichment is direct input of bituminous particles. Our results show that, similar to surface mining in the Athabasca region, activities associated with in-situ extraction can increase the burden of petrogenic PACs in nearby lakes, but many questions still remain regarding the exact sources and pathways of PACs into the environment. Given that more than 80% of Alberta's bitumen reserves can only be accessed using in-situ technologies, we recommend that this be made a research priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer B Korosi
- 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Colin A Cooke
- Environmental Monitoring and Science Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, 9888 Jasper Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 5C6, Canada; Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - David C Eickmeyer
- 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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