A preparative method for the isolation and fractionation of dissolved organic acids from bitumen-influenced waters

Bauer, Anthony E.; Frank, Richard A.; Headley, John V.; Milestone, Craig B.; Batchelor, Suzanne P.; Peru, Kerry M.; Rudy, Martina D.; Barrett, Sophie E.; Vanderveen, Ruth; Dixon, D. George; Hewitt, L. Mark

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.244

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Previous studies indicate that concentrations of dissolved organics typically fall below 60 mg/L. 8,90 For the FFTs examined in this work, this would correspond to less than 0.5% of the total organics.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Characterization and Dynamics of Residual Organics in Oil Sands Fluid Fine Tailings

2022

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Fluid fine tailings (FFTs) generated by the surface mining of oil sand ore bodies are high-water-content, clay-rich materials that contain unrecovered bitumen and additional residual organics, including solvents used during bitumen extraction. Despite a large accumulated inventory of these tailings and despite the environmental implications and challenges that the presence of organics poses, little is known about the differences in the residual organics generated by different bitumen extraction processes and about the effects of polymeric flocculation on mineral–organic interactions. This study investigated residual organics in two compositionally different FFTs both before and after flocculation with a commercially available polyacrylamide polymer. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and evolved gas analysis (EGA-TG-FTIR) were used to characterize the makeup of total organics, free bitumen, and mineral-associated organics. These observations highlighted distinct differences between the FFTs. Relative to the sample receiving waste only from the bitumen extraction process (FFT-1), the FFT sample that received waste from both the extraction and the froth treatment processes (FFT-2) exhibited a higher residual organic content and a larger fraction of lower-molecular-mass organic substances and showed a proportionally smaller release of free bitumen as a result of the washing process, evidence of a higher fraction of mineral-associated organics. Moreover, TG and FTIR analyses showed that the free bitumen released from both FFTs contained a higher fraction of lighter organics and was characterized by a more ordered molecular structure compared to the remaining organics. Finally, the study also found that the bitumen release characteristics of FFT-1 were fundamentally different from those of FFT-2. Bitumen release continued to be observed from both FFTs after polymeric flocculation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Characterization and Dynamics of Residual Organics in Oil Sands Fluid Fine Tailings

2022

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“…Given the complexities and inherent similarities in the chemical compositions of these sources, such studies need to be conducted carefully. Work in this area has been initiated, , which will guide and inform the effects-based monitoring of fish populations and benthic communities of the Athabasca River watershed under the Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring Program.…”

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Distinguishing Groundwater Influenced by Oil Sands Process-Affected Water (OSPW) from Natural Bitumen-Influenced Groundwaters

Hewitt

Roy

Rowland

et al. 2020

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The objective of this study was to advance analytical methods for detecting oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) seepage from mining containments and discriminating any such seepage from the natural bitumen background in groundwaters influenced by the Alberta McMurray formation. Improved sampling methods and quantitative analyses of two groups of monoaromatic acids were employed to analyze OSPW and bitumen-affected natural background groundwaters for source discrimination. Both groups of monoaromatic acids showed significant enrichment in OSPW, while ratios of O 2 /O 4 containing heteroatomic ion classes of acid extractable organics (AEOs) did not exhibit diagnostic differences. Evaluating the monoaromatic acids to track a known plume of OSPW-affected groundwater confirmed their diagnostic abilities. A secondary objective was to assess anthropogenically derived artificial sweeteners and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as potential tracers for OSPW. Despite the discovery of acesulfame and PFAS in most OSPW samples, trace levels in groundwaters influenced by general anthropogenic activities preclude them as individual robust tracers. However, their inclusion with the other metrics employed in this study served to augment the tiered, weight of evidence methodology developed. This methodology was then used to confirm earlier findings of OSPW migrations into groundwater reaching the Athabasca River system adjacent to the reclaimed pond at Tar Island Dyke.

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“…It should be noted that further sample preparation to better remove matrix effects (e.g. separate neutrals from polar compounds 51 ) and concentrate samples may improve detection of these specific two entities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As noted above, the extraction methodology employed considered all water‐soluble bitumen organics, while future work should utilize more selective extraction and fractionation approaches (e.g. Bauer et al 51 ) to produce fractions and extracts of lesser complexity. By coupling these improvements together with other chromatographic systems (e.g.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non‐target profiling of bitumen‐influenced waters for the identification of tracers unique to oil sands processed‐affected water (OSPW) in the Athabasca watershed of Alberta, Canada

Milestone

Sun

Martin

et al. 2020

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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RationaleThe objective of this study was to identify unique chemical tracers of oil sands process‐affected water (OSPW) to enable definitive discrimination of tailings pond seepage from natural bitumen‐influenced waters from the Canadian Alberta McMurray formation.MethodsThe approach involved comparing unknowns from an unprecedented sample set of OSPW (n = 4) and OSPW‐affected groundwaters (n = 15) with natural bitumen‐influenced groundwaters (n = 20), using high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI‐HRMS) operated in both polarities.ResultsFour unknown chemical entities were identified as potential tracers of OSPW seepage and subsequently subjected to structural elucidation. One potential tracer, tentatively identified as a thiophene‐containing carboxylic acid [C15H23O3S]−, was only detected in OSPW and OSPW‐affected samples, thereby showing the greatest diagnostic potential. The remaining three unknowns, postulated to be two thiochroman isomers [C17H25O3S]+ and an ethyl‐naphthalene isomer [C16H21]+, were detected in one and two background groundwaters, respectively.ConclusionsWe advanced the state of knowledge for tracers of tailings seepage beyond heteroatomic classes, to identifying diagnostic substances, with structures postulated. Synthesis of the four proposed structures is recommended to enable structural confirmations. This research will guide and inform the Oil Sands Monitoring Program in its efforts to assess potential influences of oil sands development on the Athabasca River watershed.

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A preparative method for the isolation and fractionation of dissolved organic acids from bitumen-influenced waters

Cited by 14 publications

References 42 publications

Characterization and Dynamics of Residual Organics in Oil Sands Fluid Fine Tailings

Characterization and Dynamics of Residual Organics in Oil Sands Fluid Fine Tailings

Advances in Distinguishing Groundwater Influenced by Oil Sands Process-Affected Water (OSPW) from Natural Bitumen-Influenced Groundwaters

Non‐target profiling of bitumen‐influenced waters for the identification of tracers unique to oil sands processed‐affected water (OSPW) in the Athabasca watershed of Alberta, Canada

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