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Siddique A, Al Disi Z, AlGhouti M, Zouari N. Diversity of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in mangroves rhizosphere as an indicator of oil-pollution bioremediation in mangrove forests. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 205:116620. [PMID: 38955089 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Mangrove ecosystems, characterized by high levels of productivity, are susceptible to anthropogenic activities, notably oil pollution arising from diverse origins including spills, transportation, and industrial effluents. Owing to their role in climate regulation and economic significance, there is a growing interest in developing mangrove conservation strategies. In the Arabian Gulf, mangroves stand as the sole naturally occurring green vegetation due to the region's hot and arid climate. However, they have faced persistent oil pollution for decades. This review focuses on global mangrove distribution, with a specific emphasis on Qatar's mangroves. It highlights the ongoing challenges faced by mangroves, particularly in relation to the oil industry, and the impact of oil pollution on these vital ecosystems. It outlines major oil spill incidents worldwide and the diverse hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities within polluted areas, elucidating their potential for bioremediation. The use of symbiotic interactions between mangrove plants and bacteria offers a more sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative. However, the success of these bioremediation strategies depends on a deep understanding of the dynamics of bacterial communities, environmental factors and specific nature of the pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afrah Siddique
- Environmental Sciences Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O.B 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Zulfa Al Disi
- Environmental Sciences Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O.B 2713, Doha, Qatar; Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammad AlGhouti
- Environmental Sciences Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O.B 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nabil Zouari
- Environmental Sciences Program, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O.B 2713, Doha, Qatar.
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2
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Leshuk TC, Young ZW, Wilson B, Chen ZQ, Smith DA, Lazaris G, Gopanchuk M, McLay S, Seelemann CA, Paradis T, Bekele A, Guest R, Massara H, White T, Zubot W, Letinski DJ, Redman AD, Allen DG, Gu F. A Light Touch: Solar Photocatalysis Detoxifies Oil Sands Process-Affected Waters Prior to Significant Treatment of Naphthenic Acids. ACS ES&T WATER 2024; 4:1483-1497. [PMID: 38633367 PMCID: PMC11019557 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.3c00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Environmental reclamation of Canada's oil sands tailings ponds is among the single largest water treatment challenges globally. The toxicity of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) has been associated with its dissolved organics, a complex mixture of naphthenic acid fraction components (NAFCs). Here, we evaluated solar treatment with buoyant photocatalysts (BPCs) as a passive advanced oxidation process (P-AOP) for OSPW remediation. Photocatalysis fully degraded naphthenic acids (NAs) and acid extractable organics (AEO) in 3 different OSPW samples. However, classical NAs and AEO, traditionally considered among the principal toxicants in OSPW, were not correlated with OSPW toxicity herein. Instead, nontarget petroleomic analysis revealed that low-polarity organosulfur compounds, composing <10% of the total AEO, apparently accounted for the majority of waters' toxicity to fish, as described by a model of tissue partitioning. These findings have implications for OSPW release, for which a less extensive but more selective treatment may be required than previously expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy
M. C. Leshuk
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E5
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Zachary W. Young
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Brad Wilson
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Stantec, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 0A4
| | - Zi Qi Chen
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E5
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Danielle A. Smith
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- P&P
Optica, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2 V 2C3
| | - Greg Lazaris
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Department
of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill
University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 0C5
| | - Mary Gopanchuk
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Sean McLay
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Corin A. Seelemann
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Composite Biomaterials Systems Lab, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Theo Paradis
- Canadian
Natural Resources Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 4J8
| | - Asfaw Bekele
- Imperial
Oil Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2C 5N1
- ExxonMobil
Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Annandale, New Jersey 08801, United States
| | - Rodney Guest
- Suncor Energy Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3E3
| | - Hafez Massara
- Suncor Energy Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3E3
- Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc., Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4B 3P6
| | - Todd White
- Teck Resources Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 0B3
| | - Warren Zubot
- Syncrude Canada Ltd., Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada T9H 0B6
| | - Daniel J. Letinski
- ExxonMobil
Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Annandale, New Jersey 08801, United States
| | - Aaron D. Redman
- ExxonMobil
Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Annandale, New Jersey 08801, United States
| | - D. Grant Allen
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E5
| | - Frank Gu
- H2nanO
Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2R 1E8
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E5
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
- Waterloo
Institute for Nanotechnology, University
of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
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3
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Asiedu E, Zhao K, Anwar MN, Ross M, Balaberda AL, Ulrich AC. Biodegradation in oil sands process-affected water: A comprehensive laboratory analysis of the in situ biodegradation of dissolved organic acids. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 349:141018. [PMID: 38141671 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.141018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) is a by-product of the extraction of bitumen, and volumes of OSPW have accumulated across the Alberta oil sands region due to the governments zero-discharge policy. Some dissolved organics in OSPW, including toxic naphthenic acids (NAs), can be biodegraded in oxic conditions, thereby reducing the toxicity of OSPW. While there has been much focus on degradation of NAs, the biodegradation of other dissolved organic chemicals by endogenous organisms remains understudied. Here, using the HPLC-ultrahigh resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry, we examined the microbial biodegradation of dissolved organic acids in OSPW. Non-targeted analysis enabled the estimation of biodegradation rates for unique heteroatomic chemical classes detected in negative ion mode. The microcosm experiments were conducted with and without nutrient supplementation, and the changes in the microbial community over time were investigated. Without added nutrients, internal standard-adjusted intensities of all organics, including NAs, were largely unchanged. The addition of nutrients increased the biodegradation rate of O2- and SO2- chemical classes. While anoxic biodegradation can occur in tailings ponds and end pit lakes, microbial community analyses confirmed that the presence of oxygen stimulated biodegradation of the OSPW samples studied. We detected several aerobic hydrocarbon-degrading microbes (e.g., Pseudomonas and Brevundimonas), and microbes capable of degrading sulfur-containing hydrocarbons (e.g., Microbacterium). Microbial community diversity decreased over time with nutrient addition. Overall, the results from this study indicate that toxic dissolved organics beyond NAs can be biodegraded by endogenous organisms in OSPW, but reaffirms that biological treatment strategies require careful consideration of how nutrients and dissolved oxygen may impact efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Asiedu
- Division of Analytical & Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Kankan Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Mian Nabeel Anwar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Matthew Ross
- Department of Physical Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 2P2, Canada
| | - Amy-Lynne Balaberda
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Ania C Ulrich
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada.
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4
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Furgason CC, Smirnova AV, Dacks JB, Dunfield PF. Phytoplankton ecology in the early years of a boreal oil sands end pit lake. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2024; 19:3. [PMID: 38217061 PMCID: PMC10787447 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Base Mine Lake (BML) is the first full-scale end pit lake for the oil sands mining industry in Canada. BML sequesters oil sands tailings under a freshwater cap and is intended to develop into a functional ecosystem that can be integrated into the local watershed. The first stage of successful reclamation requires the development of a phytoplankton community supporting a typical boreal lake food web. To assess the diversity and dynamics of the phytoplankton community in BML at this reclamation stage and to set a baseline for future monitoring, we examined the phytoplankton community in BML from 2016 through 2021 using molecular methods (targeting the 23S, 18S, and 16S rRNA genes) and microscopic methods. Nearby water bodies were used as controls for a freshwater environment and an active tailings pond. RESULTS The phytoplankton community was made up of diverse bacteria and eukaryotes typical of a boreal lake. Microscopy and molecular data both identified a phytoplankton community comparable at the phylum level to that of natural boreal lakes, dominated by Chlorophyta, Cryptophyta, and Cyanophyta, with some Bacillariophyta, Ochrophyta, and Euglenophyta. Although many of the same genera were prominent in both BML and the control freshwater reservoir, there were differences at the species or ASV level. Total diversity in BML was also consistently lower than the control freshwater site, but consistently higher than the control tailings pond. The phytoplankton community composition in BML changed over the 5-year study period. Some taxa present in 2016-2019 (e.g., Choricystis) were no longer detected in 2021, while some dinophytes and haptophytes became detectable in small quantities starting in 2019-2021. Different quantification methods (qPCR analysis of 23S rRNA genes, and microscopic estimates of populations and total biomass) did not show a consistent directional trend in total phytoplankton over the 5-year study, nor was there any consistent increase in phytoplankton species diversity. The 5-year period was likely an insufficient time frame for detecting community trends, as phytoplankton communities are highly variable at the genus and species level. CONCLUSIONS BML supports a phytoplankton community composition somewhat unique from control sites (active tailings and freshwater lake) and is still changing over time. However, the most abundant genera are typical of natural boreal lakes and have the potential to support a complex aquatic food web, with many of its identified major phytoplankton constituents known to be primary producers in boreal lake environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantel C Furgason
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Angela V Smirnova
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave., Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Peter F Dunfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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5
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Trepanier KE, Vander Meulen IJ, Ahad JME, Headley JV, Degenhardt D. Evaluating the attenuation of naphthenic acids in constructed wetland mesocosms planted with Carex aquatilis. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1228. [PMID: 37725196 PMCID: PMC10509100 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11776-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Surface oil sands mining and extraction in northern Alberta's Athabasca oil sands region produce large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). OSPW is a complex mixture containing major contaminant classes including trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs). Naphthenic acids (NAs) are the primary organic toxicants in OSPW, and reducing their concentrations is a priority for oil sands companies. Previous evidence has shown that constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTSs) are capable of reducing the concentration of NAs and the toxicity of OSPW through bioremediation. In this study, we constructed greenhouse mesocosms with OSPW or lab process water (LPW) (i.e., water designed to mimic OSPW minus the NAFC content) with three treatments: (1) OSPW planted with Carex aquatilis; (2) OSPW, no plants; and (3) LPW, no plants. The OSPW-C. aquatilis treatment saw a significant reduction in NAFC concentrations in comparison to OSPW, no plant treatments, but both changed the distribution of the NAFCs in similar ways. Upon completion of the study, treatments with OSPW saw fewer high-molecular-weight NAs and an increase in the abundance of O3- and O4-containing formulae. Results from this study provide invaluable information on how constructed wetlands can be used in future remediation of OSPW in a way that previous studies were unable to achieve due to uncontrollable environmental factors in field experiments and the active, high-energy processes used in CWTSs pilot studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E Trepanier
- Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ian J Vander Meulen
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Hydrology Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jason M E Ahad
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - John V Headley
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Hydrology Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Dani Degenhardt
- Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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6
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Cancelli AM, Gobas FAPC. Treatment of naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected waters with a surface flow treatment wetland: mass removal, half-life, and toxicity-reduction. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 213:113755. [PMID: 35753377 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study is the first to investigate the removal of naphthenic acids in a full-scale constructed wetland within the Alberta Oil Sands region. The average mass-removal efficiency for all O2-naphthenic acids measured in three separate deployments in the wetland ranged from 7.5% to 68.9% and appeared sensitive to physicochemical properties of the naphthenic acids, environmental conditions, and water quality. Treatment efficiency of individual naphthenic acids was found to increase with increasing carbon number and decreasing number of double bond equivalents in the molecule. Treatment efficiency was also found to increase with both higher initial turbidity in OSPW entering the wetland, and warmer average OSPW temperatures during wetland operation. Half-life times of naphthenic acids in the treatment wetland ranged between 8.9 and 39 days and were substantially lower than those in tailings ponds (i.e., 12.9-13.6 years) and laboratory studies focussed on bench-scale aerobic microbial biodegradation (i.e., 44-315 days). Using published dose-response data, biomimetic extraction measurements using solid phase microextraction fibers indicate that 14 days of wetland treatment resulted in a reduction in (4 d) deformity of Danio rerio from 50 to 16%, while exhibiting less than 1% toxic response for less sensitive toxic endpoints. The study concludes that wetland treatment is a feasible and productive treatment method for naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected water due to a combination of sorption and biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Cancelli
- The School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Frank A P C Gobas
- The School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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7
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Samuel O, Othman MHD, Kamaludin R, Sinsamphanh O, Abdullah H, Puteh MH, Kurniawan TA, Li T, Ismail AF, Rahman MA, Jaafar J, El-Badawy T, Chinedu Mamah S. Oilfield-produced water treatment using conventional and membrane-based technologies for beneficial reuse: A critical review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 308:114556. [PMID: 35124308 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Oilfield produced water (OPW) is one of the most important by-products, resulting from oil and gas exploration. The water contains a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds such as grease, dissolved salt, heavy metals as well as dissolved and dispersed oils, which can be toxic to the environment and public health. This article critically reviews the complex properties of OPW and various technologies for its treatment. They include the physico-chemical treatment process, biological treatment process, and physical treatment process. Their technological strengths and bottlenecks as well as strategies to mitigate their bottlenecks are elaborated. A particular focus is placed on membrane technologies. Finally, further research direction, challenges, and perspectives of treatment technologies for OPW are discussed. It is conclusively evident from 262 published studies (1965-2021) that no single treatment method is highly effective for OPW treatment as a stand-alone process however, conventional membrane-based technologies are frequently used for the treatment of OPW with the ultrafiltration (UF) process being the most used for oil rejection form OPW and oily waste water. After membrane treatment, treated effluents of the OPW could be reused for irrigation, habitant and wildlife watering, microalgae production, and livestock watering. Overall, this implies that target pollutants in the OPW samples could be removed efficiently for subsequent use, despite its complex properties. In general, it is however important to note that feed quality, desired quality of effluent, cost-effectiveness, simplicity of process are key determinants in choosing the most suitable treatment process for OPW treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ojo Samuel
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, P.M.B 35, Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria
| | - Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia.
| | - Roziana Kamaludin
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Oulavanh Sinsamphanh
- Faculty of Environmental Science, National University of Laos, Dongdok, Campus, Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital, LOA PDR, Laos
| | - Huda Abdullah
- Department of Electrical, Electronic & Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, The National University of Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Hafiz Puteh
- School of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | | | - Tao Li
- School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Mukhlis A Rahman
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Juhana Jaafar
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Tijjani El-Badawy
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Stanley Chinedu Mamah
- Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, UTM JB, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
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8
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The effects of oil sands process-affected water naphthenic acid fraction components on GDF15 secretion in extravillous trophoblast cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 441:115970. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.115970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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9
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Impacts of bioreactor operating parameters on removal efficiency, biodegradation rate, molecular distribution, and toxicity of commercial naphthenic acids. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2021; 45:391-407. [PMID: 34854976 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-021-02669-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Effects of naphthenic acids (NAs) concentration (50-200 mg NA L-1; 35-140 mg TOC L-1) and loading rate (1.4-1249 mg NA L-1 h-1; 1-874 mg TOC L-1 h-1) on removal efficiency, removal rate, and molecular distribution of NAs, and effluent toxicity were evaluated for biodegradation of commercial NAs mixture in circulating packed bed bioreactors (CPBBs). Increase of NAs concentration and loading rate (shorter residence times) increased the removal rate, while removal efficiency initially declined and then stabilized. The maximum biodegradation rates for 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg NA L-1 were 128.0, 321.7, 430.2, and 630.0 mg TOC L-1 h-1 at loading rates of 218.5, 455.6, 673.5 and 874.0 mg TOC L-1 h-1, respectively, with removal efficiencies of 58.6, 70.6, 63.9 and 72.1%. Analysis of influent and treated effluents with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that molecular weight and cyclicity (C and Z numbers) affected the biodegradation, with low molecular weight acyclic NAs (C = 6-12) were the most amenable to biodegradation and those with intermediate and high molecular weights (C = 13-22) and moderate cyclicity (Z = - 4, - 6) were the most recalcitrant. In the biofilm, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the most abundant phyla, and Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria were the dominant classes. Toxicity analyses with Artemia salina and Vibrio fischeri (Microtox) showed that high influent concentrations and loading rates (short residence times) led to higher NAs residual concentration and effluent toxicity. To design and operate large-scale CPBBs, intermediate loading rates and residence times that result in high removal efficiency, reasonable removal rates, and low toxicity are recommended.
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10
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The Use of Surface-Modified Nanocrystalline Cellulose Integrated Membranes to Remove Drugs from Waste Water and as Polymers to Clean Oil Sands Tailings Ponds. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13223899. [PMID: 34833197 PMCID: PMC8620018 DOI: 10.3390/polym13223899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent environmental need to remediate waste water. In this study, the use of surface-modified nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC) to remove polluting drugs or chemicals from waste water and oil sands tailing ponds has been investigated. CNC was modified by either surface adsorbing cationic or hydrophobic species or by covalent methods and integrated into membrane water filters. The removal of either diclofenac or estradiol from water was studied. Similar non-covalently modified CNC materials were used to flocculate clays from water or to bind naphthenic acids which are contaminants in tailing ponds. Estradiol bound well to hydrophobically modified CNC membrane filter systems. Similarly, diclofenac (anionic drug) bound well to covalently cationically modified CNC membranes. Non-covalent modified CNC effectively flocculated clay particles in water and bound two naphthenic acid chemicals (negatively charged and hydrophobic). Modified CNC integrated into water filter membranes may remove drugs from waste or drinking water and contaminants from tailing ponds water. Furthermore, the ability of modified CNC to flocculate clays particles and bind naphthenic acids may allow for the addition of modified CNC directly to tailing ponds to remove both contaminants. CNC offers an environmentally friendly, easily transportable and disposable novel material for water remediation purposes.
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Transcriptome Analysis of Environmental Pseudomonas Isolates Reveals Mechanisms of Biodegradation of Naphthenic Acid Fraction Compounds (NAFCs) in Oil Sands Tailings. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102124. [PMID: 34683445 PMCID: PMC8540809 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) are highly recalcitrant constituents of oil sands tailings. Although some microorganisms in the tailings can individually and synergistically metabolize NAFCs, the biochemical mechanisms that underpin these processes are hitherto unknown. To this end, we isolated two microorganisms, Pseudomonas protegens and Pseudomonas putida, from oils sands tailings and analyzed their transcriptomes to shed light on the metabolic processes employed by them to degrade and detoxify NAFCs. We identified 1048, 521 and 1434 genes that are upregulated in P. protegens, P. putida and a 1:1 co-culture of the strains, respectively. We subsequently enumerated the biochemical activities of enriched genes and gene products to reveal the identities of the enzymes that are associated with NAFC degradation. Separately, we analyzed the NAFCs that are degraded by the two pseudomonads and their 1:1 co-culture and determined the composition of the molecules using mass spectrometry. We then compared these molecular formulas to those of the cognate substrates of the enriched enzymes to chart the metabolic network and understand the mechanisms of degradation that are employed by the microbial cultures. Not only does the consortium behave differently than the pure cultures, but our analysis also revealed the mechanisms responsible for accelerated rate of degradation of NAFCs by the co-culture. Our findings provide new directions for engineering or evolving microorganisms and their consortia for degrading NAFCs more stably and aggressively.
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Persulfate Oxidation Coupled with Biodegradation by Pseudomonas fluorescens Enhances Naphthenic Acid Remediation and Toxicity Reduction. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071502. [PMID: 34361937 PMCID: PMC8306852 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraction of bitumen from the Albertan oilsands produces large amounts of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) that requires remediation. Classical naphthenic acids (NAs), a complex mixture of organic compounds containing O2- species, are present in the acid extractable organic fraction of OSPW and are a primary cause of acute toxicity. A potential remediation strategy is combining chemical oxidation and biodegradation. Persulfate as an oxidant is advantageous, as it is powerful, economical, and less harmful towards microorganisms. This is the first study to examine persulfate oxidation coupled to biodegradation for NA remediation. Merichem NAs were reacted with 100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/L of unactivated persulfate at 21 °C and 500 and 1000 mg/L of activated persulfate at 30 °C, then inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens LP6a after 2 months. At 21 °C, the coupled treatment removed 52.8-98.9% of Merichem NAs, while 30 °C saw increased removals of 99.4-99.7%. Coupling persulfate oxidation with biodegradation improved removal of Merichem NAs and chemical oxidation demand by up to 1.8× and 6.7×, respectively, and microbial viability was enhanced up to 4.6×. Acute toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri was negatively impacted by synergistic interactions between the persulfate and Merichem NAs; however, it was ultimately reduced by 74.5-100%. This study supports that persulfate oxidation coupled to biodegradation is an effective and feasible treatment to remove NAs and reduce toxicity.
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Lv X, Ma B, Lee K, Ulrich A. Potential syntrophic associations in anaerobic naphthenic acids biodegrading consortia inferred with microbial interactome networks. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 397:122678. [PMID: 32497975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) can be syntrophically metabolized by indigenous microbial communities in pristine sediments beneath oil sands tailings ponds. Syntrophy is an essential determinant of the microbial interactome, however, the interactome network in anaerobic NAs-degrading consortia has not been previously addressed due to complexity and resistance of NAs. To evaluate the impact of electron acceptors on topology of interactome networks, we inferred two microbial interactome networks for anaerobic NAs-degrading consortia under nitrate- and sulfate-reducing conditions. The complexity of the network was higher under sulfate-reducing conditions than nitrate-reducing conditions. Differences in the taxonomic composition between the two modules implies that different potential syntrophic interactions exist in each network. We inferred the presence of the same syntrophic microorganisms, from genera Bellilinea, Longilinea, and Litorilinea, initiating the metabolism in both networks, but within each network, we predicted unique syntrophic associations that have not been reported. Electron acceptor has a large effect on the interactome networks for anaerobic NAs-degrading consortia, offers insight into an unrecognized dimension of these consortia. These results provide a novel approach for exploring potential syntrophic relationships in biodegrading processes to help cost-effectively remove NAs in oil sands tailings ponds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Lv
- Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Bin Ma
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Korris Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada
| | - Ania Ulrich
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada
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14
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Jamshed L, Raez-Villanueva S, Perono GA, Thomas PJ, Holloway AC. The effects of a technical mixture of naphthenic acids on placental trophoblast cell function. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 96:413-423. [PMID: 32871178 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
There is considerable concern that naphthenic acids (NA) related to oil extraction can negatively impact reproduction in mammals, yet the mechanisms are unknown. Since placental dysfunction is central to many adverse pregnancy outcomes, the goal of this study was to determine the effects of NA exposure on placental trophoblast cell function. HTR-8/SVneo cells were exposed to a commercial technical NA mixture for 24 hours to assess transcriptional regulation of placentation-related pathways and functional assessment of migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Pathway analysis suggests that NA treatment resulted in increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. However, there was reduced migration and invasive potential. NA treatment increased angiogenesis-related pathways with a concomitant increase in tube formation. Since decreased trophoblast invasion/migration and aberrant angiogenesis have been associated with placental dysfunction, these findings suggest that it is biologically plausible that exposure to NA may result in altered placental development and/or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laiba Jamshed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON., L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sergio Raez-Villanueva
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON., L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Genevieve A Perono
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON., L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Philippe J Thomas
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa ON., Canada
| | - Alison C Holloway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON., L8S 4K1, Canada.
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15
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Cardoso DN, Soares AMVM, Wrona FJ, Loureiro S. Assessing the acute and chronic toxicity of exposure to naturally occurring oil sands deposits to aquatic organisms using Daphnia magna. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 729:138805. [PMID: 32380325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the Athabasca region, the oil sands are located at or near the surface making open-pit mining viable. In addition, the Athabasca River and its tributaries flow through these oil sands deposits, thereby receiving bitumen-associated contaminants through natural fluvial erosional and weathering processes. A key knowledge gap has been related to understanding both the magnitude and significance of the toxicological and ecological effects on aquatic organisms exposed to naturally occurring bitumen entering fluvial systems. Using the Daphnia magna model system, this study assessed the ecotoxicological effects of exposure to bitumen-elutriate treatments that simulated the early stages of fluvial/erosional exposure conditions. No significant among-site differences were observed in the survival of D. magna after 48 h exposure to elutriates produced from a 24 h extraction cycle, and chemical analysis indicated low concentration of a complex mixture of hydrocarbon and metal contaminants. In contrast, the same elutriates impaired reproduction and growth after a 21-day chronic exposure. F1 neonates from the chronic tests were tested for sensitivity to the reference substance potassium dichromate, revealing a decrease in their sensitivity. Inter-generational effects were also observed, with a significant decrease in subsequent neonate production, when daphnids were moved to a clean medium. Supplemental acute toxicity assays using 48 and 72 h bitumen extraction cycles progressively increased daphnid mortality after a 48-h exposure to the respective elutriates. This indicates that bitumen-associated contaminants are being liberated after initial input and fluvial washing (24 h), highlighting the need for future work to assess toxicity responses and associated elutriate water chemistry of a longer fluvial exposure time-series. This work contributes to our understanding of the possible effects of natural bitumen exposure on riverine aquatic ecosystems, providing new information to inform the delineation of baseline conditions to assess environmental change and the design of future regional effects-based monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo N Cardoso
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Frederick J Wrona
- Alberta Environment and Parks, 9th Floor, 9888 Jasper Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 5C6, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Susana Loureiro
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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16
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Reddy DO, Milliken CE, Foreman K, Fox J, Simpson W, Brigmon RL. Bioremediation of Hexanoic Acid and Phenanthrene in Oil Sands Tailings by the Microbial Consortium BioTiger™. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2020; 104:253-258. [PMID: 31898751 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-019-02776-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and naphthenic acids (NAs) are toxic contaminants of environmental concern found in process water and mature fine tailings, or tailings, from the oil sands industry. BioTiger™, a patented microbial consortium of twelve natural environmental isolates, was found to cometabolically biodegrade the NA hexanoic acid and the PAH phenanthrene in the presence of tailings. Hexanoamide was found to be produced and consumed during cometabolism of hexanoic acid. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated three of the BioTiger™ strains generated biosurfactants with the bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons assay, seven with the methylene blue active substances assay, and nine with a hemolysis assay. Serial transfers of the BioTiger™ consortium demonstrated the stability of hexanoic acid degradation over several generations. The results demonstrate that BioTiger™ cometabolically biodegrades combinations of phenanthrene and hexanoic acid in tailings. This work reveals the potential for in situ bioremediation of tailings with this natural microbial consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Koji Foreman
- Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jasmine Fox
- South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC, 29117, USA
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17
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Biodegradation of naphthenic acids: identification of Rhodococcus opacus R7 genes as molecular markers for environmental monitoring and their application in slurry microcosms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:2675-2689. [PMID: 31993702 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, the increase of the unconventional oil deposit exploitation and the amount of oil sands process-affected waters (OSPW) in tailing ponds emerges the importance of developing bio-monitoring strategies for the restoration of these habitats. The major constituents of such deposits are naphthenic acids (NAs), emerging contaminant mixtures with toxic and recalcitrant properties. With the aim of developing bio-monitoring strategies based on culture-independent approach, we identified genes coding for enzymes involved in NA degradation from Rhodococcus opacus R7 genome, after the evaluation of its ability to mineralize model NAs. R. opacus R7 whole-genome analysis unveiled the presence of pobA and chcpca gene clusters putatively involved in NAs degradation. Gene expression analysis demonstrated the specific induction of R7 aliA1 gene, encoding for a long-chain-fatty-acid-CoA ligase, in the presence of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CHCA) and hexanoic acid (HA), selected as representative compounds for alicyclic and linear NAs, respectively. Therefore, aliA1 gene was selected as a molecular marker to monitor the biodegradative potential of slurry-phase sand microcosms in different conditions: spiked with CHCA, in the presence of R. opacus R7, the autochthonous microbial community, and combining these factors. Results revealed that the aliA1-targeting culture-independent approach could be a useful method for bio-monitoring of NA degradation in a model laboratory system.
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18
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Raez-Villanueva S, Jamshed L, Ratnayake G, Cheng L, Thomas PJ, Holloway AC. Adverse effects of naphthenic acids on reproductive health: A focus on placental trophoblast cells. Reprod Toxicol 2019; 90:126-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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19
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Yu X, Lee K, Ulrich AC. Model naphthenic acids removal by microalgae and Base Mine Lake cap water microbial inoculum. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 234:796-805. [PMID: 31247489 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.06.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) originate from bitumen and are considered a major contributor to acute toxicity in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) produced from bitumen extraction processes. To reclaim oil sands tailings and remediate OSPW, in-pit fluid fine tailings can be water-capped as end pit lakes (EPL). Addressing NAs present in OSPW, either through removal, dilution or degradation, is an objective for oil sands reclamation. EPLs can remediate NAs through degradation or dilution or both. To assess and understand degradation potential, Chlorella kessleri and Botryococcus braunii were tested for their tolerance to, and ability to biodegrade, three model NAs (cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, cyclohexaneacetic acid, and cyclohexanebutyric acid). Water sourced from the industry's first EPL, the Base Mine Lake (BML), was used alone as an inoculum or co-cultured with C. kessleri to biodegrade cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and cyclohexanebutyric acid. All cultures metabolized the model compounds via β-oxidation. Biodegradation by the co-culture of C. kessleri and BML inoculum was most effective and rapid: the cyclohexaneacetic acid generated from cyclohexanebutyric acid could be further degraded by the co-culture, while the cyclohexaneacetic acid generated could not be consumed by pure algal cultures or BML inoculum alone. Adding C. kessleri greatly increased the diversity of the microbial community in the BML inoculum; many known hydrocarbon and NA degraders were identified from the 16S rRNA gene sequencing from this co-culture. This more diverse microbial community could have potential for EPL remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
| | - Korris Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
| | - Ania C Ulrich
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
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20
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Bauer AE, Hewitt LM, Parrott JL, Bartlett AJ, Gillis PL, Deeth LE, Rudy MD, Vanderveen R, Brown L, Campbell SD, Rodrigues MR, Farwell AJ, Dixon DG, Frank RA. The toxicity of organic fractions from aged oil sands process-affected water to aquatic species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 669:702-710. [PMID: 30893625 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The process of surface mining and extracting bitumen from oil sand produces large quantities of tailings and oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). The industry is currently storing OSPW on-site while investigating strategies for their detoxification. One such strategy relies on the biodegradation of organic compounds by indigenous microbes, resulting in aged tailings waters with reduced toxicity. This study assessed the toxicity of OSPW aged statically for approximately 18 years. Dissolved organics in aged OSPW were fractionated using a preparative solid-phase extraction method that generated three organic fractions (F1-F3) of increasing polarity. Eight aquatic species from different trophic levels were exposed to whole OSPW (WW) and the derived OSPW organic fractions to assess toxicity: Pimephales promelas, Oryzias latipes, Vibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna, Lampsilis cardium, Hyalella azteca, Ceriodaphnia dubia, and Hexagenia spp. Broad comparisons revealed that P. promelas and H. azteca were most sensitive to dissolved organics within aged OSPW, while WW was most toxic to L. cardium and H. azteca. Three cases of possible contaminant interactions occurred within whole OSPW treatments, as toxicity was higher than organic fractions for H. azteca and L. cardium, and lower for P. promelas. As such, the drivers of toxicity appeared to be dependent on the species exposed. Of the organic fractions assessed, F3 (most polar) was the most toxic overall while F2 (intermediate polarity) displayed little toxicity to all species evaluated. This presents strong evidence that classical mono-carboxylic naphthenic acids, mostly present in F1 (least polar), are not primarily responsible for the toxicity in aged tailings. The current study indicates that although the aged tailings source (≥18 years) did not display acute toxicity to the majority of organisms assessed, inorganic components and polyoxygenated organics may pose a persistent concern to some aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony E Bauer
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, ON, Canada
| | - L M Hewitt
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada.
| | - J L Parrott
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - A J Bartlett
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - P L Gillis
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - L E Deeth
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada
| | - M D Rudy
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - R Vanderveen
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - L Brown
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - S D Campbell
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - M R Rodrigues
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
| | - A J Farwell
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, ON, Canada
| | - D G Dixon
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, ON, Canada
| | - R A Frank
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, ON, Canada
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Zan S, Wang J, Wang F, Han Y, Du M, Fan J. Variation and distribution of naphthenic acids in Dalian Bay sediment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 140:597-602. [PMID: 30803681 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies that have investigated marine oil pollution have predominantly focused on petroleum hydrocarbons. Naphthenic acids (NAs), in contrast, are toxins that are less well studied. Following the Dalian oil spill accident, monitoring surveys were carried out to investigate NAs in Dalian Bay sediments. Concentrations of NAs were between 14.826 and 34.279 mg kg-1, with acyclic and motorcycle carboxylic acids (43.28% and 35.12%, respectively) being the dominant components. NAs were 10-30 times more abundant than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediment. Further correlation analysis showed the abundance of NAs was highly correlated with total PAH levels (0.705, p < 0.01, n = 24) and total oil (0.485, p < 0.05, n = 24), indicating that NAs may be a potential marker for oil pollution in coastal sediments. The present study may help to expand the scope of marine environmental monitoring and provide guidance for the remediation of marine pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaijun Zan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
| | - Fengbo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Ying Han
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Miaomiao Du
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jingfeng Fan
- Marine Ecology Department, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; Fourth Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Beihai 536000, China.
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22
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Nafie G, Manasrah AD, Mackay B, Badran I, Nassar NN. Oxy-Cracking Reaction for Enhanced Settling and Dewaterability of Oil Sands Tailings. Ind Eng Chem Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.8b06203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ghada Nafie
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Abdallah D. Manasrah
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Brooke Mackay
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Ismail Badran
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Nashaat N. Nassar
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
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Tiwari SS, Iorhemen OT, Tay JH. Aerobic granular sludge and naphthenic acids treatment by varying initial concentrations and supplemental carbon concentrations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 362:348-357. [PMID: 30243258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has previously been utilized in the treatment of toxic compounds due to its diverse and dense microbial structure. The present study subjected mature AGS to model naphthenic acids (NAs) representative of the Canadian oil sands. To this effect, three NA concentrations (10, 50 and 100 mg/L) and three supplemental carbon source concentrations (600, 1200 and 2500 mg/L) were studied in batch reactors for 5 days. The responding variables were chemical oxygen demand (COD), NA concentrations and nutrients. Cyclohexane carboxylic acid (CHCA), cyclohexane acetic acid (CHAA) and 1-adamantane carboxylic acid (ACA) were chosen to study structure-based degradation kinetics. The optimal COD according to the runs was 1200 mg/L. CHCA was removed completely with biodegradation rate constants increasing with lower NA concentrations and lower COD concentrations. CHAA was also removed completely, however, an optimal rate constant of 1.9 d-1 was achieved at NA and COD concentrations of 50 mg/L and 1200 mg/L, respectively. ACA removal trends did not follow statistically significant regressions; however, degradation and sorption helped remove ACA up to 19.9%. Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Hyphomonas and Brevundimonas spp. increased over time, indicating increased AGS adaptability to NAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham S Tiwari
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Oliver T Iorhemen
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Joo Hwa Tay
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
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Ahad JME, Pakdel H, Gammon PR, Siddique T, Kuznetsova A, Savard MM. Evaluating in situ biodegradation of 13C-labelled naphthenic acids in groundwater near oil sands tailings ponds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:392-399. [PMID: 29940450 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Potential seepage of naphthenic acids (NAs) from tailings ponds into surface water and groundwater is one of the main environmental concerns associated with the Canadian Athabasca oil sands mining operations. Here we report the application of 13C-labelled NA surrogate compounds to evaluate intrinsic biodegradation along groundwater flow-paths originating from oil sands tailings ponds at two different sites: a glacio-fluvial aquifer (Site 1) and a low-lying wetland (Site 2). Microcosms containing the carboxyl group labelled (99%) NA surrogates (cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, CHCA; 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, CHDCA; 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid, ACA) were lowered into monitoring wells for several months to allow sufficient time for substrate degradation and formation of a biofilm in conditions characteristic of the local aquifer. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), biomarkers for the active microbial population, were extracted from the biofilms for stable carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis. At Site 1, highly 13C-enriched δ13C values (up to ~+7100‰) confirmed the in situ microbial breakdown of CHCA and CHDCA. At Site 2, δ13C-PLFA values from -60.6 to -24.5‰ indicated uptake of a 13C-depleted substrate such as biogenic methane and not 13C-labelled ACA. Determination of the microbial community using 16s RNA sequencing confirmed the presence of methane-oxidizing bacteria in the subsurface at Site 2. The in situ biodegradation of NAs at Site 1 demonstrates that the indigenous microbial population in the shallow subsurface near tailings ponds can readily break down some of these compounds prior to surface water discharge. The lack of evidence for microbial uptake of 13C-labelled ACA at Site 2 demonstrates that other NAs, in particular tricyclic diamondoid acids, may persist in the environment following seepage from tailings ponds or natural sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M E Ahad
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada.
| | - Hooshang Pakdel
- INRS, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Paul R Gammon
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E8, Canada
| | - Tariq Siddique
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Alsu Kuznetsova
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Martine M Savard
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
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Dibike YB, Shakibaeinia A, Droppo IG, Caron E. Modelling the potential effects of Oil-Sands tailings pond breach on the water and sediment quality of the Lower Athabasca River. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 642:1263-1281. [PMID: 30045507 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Within the Oil-Sands industry in Alberta, Canada, tailings ponds are used as water recycling and tailings storage facilities (TSF) for mining activities. However, there could be possible circumstances under which a sudden breach of an embankment confining one of the TSFs may occur. Such a tailings pond breach would result in a sudden release of a huge volume of Oil Sands process-affected water (OSPW) and sediment slurry containing substantial amount of chemical constituents that would follow the downstream drainage paths and subsequently enter into the Lower Athabasca River (LAR). This study investigates the implications of OS tailings release on the water and sediment quality of the LAR by simulating the fate of sediment and associated chemicals corresponding to a hypothetical breach and release scenarios from a select set of tailings ponds using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic and constituent transport model. After predicting the total volume, time evolution and concentration of sediment and associated chemicals (metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and naphthenic acids (NAs)) reaching the LAR, the transport and deposition of these materials within the study reach is simulated. The results show that, depending on tailings release locations, between 40 and 70% of the sediment and associated chemicals get deposited onto the river bed of the 160 km study reach while the rest leaves the study domain during the first three days following the release event. These sediment/chemicals deposited during the initial spill may also have long-term effects on the water quality and aquatic ecosystem of the river and the downstream delta. However, care has to be taken in interpreting the results as further analysis has shown that the outcomes of such model simulations are very sensitive to the various underlying assumptions as well as the values assigned to some model parameters representing the physical properties of the tailings material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonas B Dibike
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division (WHERD), Water & Climate Impact Research Centre (W-CIRC), Victoria, BC, Canada.
| | - Ahmad Shakibaeinia
- Polytechnique Montreal, Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Eng., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ian G Droppo
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division (WHERD), Canadian Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW), Burlington, ON, Canada
| | - Emma Caron
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division (WHERD), Water & Climate Impact Research Centre (W-CIRC), Victoria, BC, Canada
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Yu X, Lee K, Ma B, Asiedu E, Ulrich AC. Indigenous microorganisms residing in oil sands tailings biodegrade residual bitumen. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 209:551-559. [PMID: 29945048 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.06.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of indigenous microbes in tailings to degrade bitumen aerobically, and if acetate biostimulation further improved degradation. Fluid fine tailings, from Base Mine Lake (BML), were used as microbial inocula, and bitumen in the tailings served as a potential carbon source during the experiment. The tailings were capped with 0.22 μm-filtered BML surface water with or without BML bitumen and acetate addition and incubated for 100 days at 20 °C. CO2 production and petroleum hydrocarbon reductions (50-70% for the biostimulation treatment) in the tailings were observed. DNA was extracted directly from the tailings, and increased bacterial density was observed by qPCR targeting the rpoB gene in the biostimulated group. 16 S rRNA sequencing was used to determine microbial composition profiles in each treatment group. The microbial communities indigenous to the tailings shifted after the bitumen was added. Acidovorax, Rhodoferax, Pseudomonas and Pseudoxanthomonas spp. significantly increased compared to the original microbial community and demonstrated tolerance to bitumen-based toxicity. The first three genera showed more potential for biostimulation treatment with acetate and may be important bitumen/hydrocarbon-degraders in an oil sands end pit lake environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
| | - Korris Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
| | - Bin Ma
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
| | - Evelyn Asiedu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7, Canada.
| | - Ania C Ulrich
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada.
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Leshuk T, Peru KM, de Oliveira Livera D, Tripp A, Bardo P, Headley JV, Gu F. Petroleomic analysis of the treatment of naphthenic organics in oil sands process-affected water with buoyant photocatalysts. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 141:297-306. [PMID: 29803095 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of toxicity associated with the soluble naphthenic organic compounds (NOCs) of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) implies that a treatment solution may be necessary to enable safe return of this water to the environment. Due to recent advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), the majority of the toxicity of OSPW is currently understood to derive from a subset of toxic classes, comprising only a minority of the total NOCs. Herein, oxidative treatment of OSPW with buoyant photocatalysts was evaluated under a petroleomics paradigm: chemical changes across acid-, base- and neutral-extractable organic fractions were tracked throughout the treatment with both positive and negative ion mode electrospray ionization (ESI) Orbitrap MS. Elimination of detected OS+ and NO+ classes of concern in the earliest stages of the treatment, along with preferential degradation of high carbon-numbered O2- acids, suggest that photocatalysis may detoxify OSPW with higher efficiency than previously thought. Application of petroleomic level analysis offers unprecedented insights into the treatment of petroleum impacted water, allowing reaction trends to be followed across multiple fractions and thousands of compounds simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Leshuk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Kerry M Peru
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Diogo de Oliveira Livera
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Austin Tripp
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Patrick Bardo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - John V Headley
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Frank Gu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Tiwari S, Iorhemen O, Tay J. Semi-continuous treatment of naphthenic acids using aerobic granular sludge. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biteb.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Valdes Labrada GM, Nemati M. Biodegradation of surrogate naphthenic acids and electricity generation in microbial fuel cells: bioelectrochemical and microbial characterizations. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2018; 41:1635-1649. [PMID: 30046898 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-018-1989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Waters contaminated with naphthenic acids (NAs) and associated tailings are one of the major environmental challenges associated with the processing of oil sands and production of heavy oil. In the current work biodegradation of linear and cyclic naphthenic acids, namely octanoic acid and 4-methyl-1-cyclohexane carboxylic acid (trans-4MCHCA), individually and in mixture were evaluated in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In batch MFCs with single rod electrodes and freely suspended bacteria, biodegradation rate increased as NA initial concentration increased from 100 to 250 mg L-1 with no further improvement when a concentration of 500 mg L-1 was evaluated. During the co-biodegradation, diauxic microbial growth and preferential use of octanoic acid were observed. Moreover, the presence of octanoic acid enhanced the biodegradation of trans-4MCHCA. In the continuous flow MFCs with granular graphite electrodes and biofilm, increases in NA concentration and loading rate led to higher biodegradation rates and improvement of electrochemical output. Furthermore, MFC operated with octanoic acid outperformed its counterpart that was fed with trans-4MCHCA, with the maximum biodegradation rate, current and power densities for octanoic acid and trans-4MCHCA being 49.9 and 36.5 mg L-1 h-1, 6000.0 and 4296.3 mA m-3, and 963.0 and 481.5 mW m-3, respectively. Co-biodegradation of NAs in continuous flow MFCs with biofilm acclimated to octanoic acid or trans-4MCHCA revealed development of distinctly different microbial communities, simultaneous biodegradation of NAs albeit at faster rates for octanoic acid, and superior performance of MFC with the biofilm developed with trans-4MCHCA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehdi Nemati
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A9, Canada.
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Xue J, Huang C, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Gamal El-Din M. Bioreactors for oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) treatment: A critical review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 627:916-933. [PMID: 29426216 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Canada has the world's largest oil sands reservoirs. Surface mining and subsequent caustic hot water extraction of bitumen lead to an enormous quantity of tailings (volumetric ratio bitumen:water=9:1). Due to the zero-discharge approach and the persistency of the complex matrix, oil producers are storing oil sands tailings in vast ponds in Northern Alberta. Oil sands tailings are comprised of sand, clay and process-affected water (OSPW). OSPW contains an extremely complex matrix of organic contaminants (e.g., naphthenic acids (NAs), residual bitumen, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), which has proven to be toxic to a variety of aquatic species. Biodegradation, among a variety of examined methods, is believed to be one of the most cost effective and practical to treat OSPW. A number of studies have been published on the removal of oil sands related contaminants using biodegradation-based practices. This review focuses on the treatment of OSPW using various bioreactors, comparing bioreactor configurations, operating conditions, performance evaluation and microbial community dynamics. Effort is made to identify the governing biotic and abiotic factors in engineered biological systems receiving OSPW. Generally, biofilms and elevated suspended biomass are beneficial to the resilience and degradation performance of a bioreactor. The review therefore suggests that a hybridization of biofilms and membrane technology (to ensure higher suspended microbial biomass) is a more promising option to remove OSPW organic constituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinkai Xue
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Chunkai Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada.
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de Oliveira Livera D, Leshuk T, Peru KM, Headley JV, Gu F. Structure-reactivity relationship of naphthenic acids in the photocatalytic degradation process. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 200:180-190. [PMID: 29482010 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bitumen extraction in Canada's oil sands generates oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) as a toxic by-product. Naphthenic acids (NAs) contribute to the water's toxicity, and treatment methods may need to be implemented to enable safe discharge. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for OSPW remediation, however, its successful implementation requires understanding of the complicated relationship between structure and reactivity of NAs. This work aimed to study the effect of various structural properties of model compounds on the photocatalytic degradation kinetics via high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), including diamondoid structures, heteroatomic species, and degree of unsaturation. The rate of photocatalytic treatment increased significantly with greater structural complexity, namely with carbon number, aromaticity and degree of cyclicity, properties that render particular NAs recalcitrant to biodegradation. It is hypothesized that a superoxide radical-mediated pathway explains these observations and offers additional benefits over traditional hydroxyl radical-based AOPs. Detailed structure-reactivity investigations of NAs in photocatalysis have not previously been undertaken, and the results described herein illustrate the potential benefit of combining photocatalysis and biodegradation as a complete OSPW remediation technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo de Oliveira Livera
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Tim Leshuk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Kerry M Peru
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - John V Headley
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Frank Gu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Presentato A, Cappelletti M, Sansone A, Ferreri C, Piacenza E, Demeter MA, Crognale S, Petruccioli M, Milazzo G, Fedi S, Steinbüchel A, Turner RJ, Zannoni D. Aerobic Growth of Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 Using Selected Naphthenic Acids as the Sole Carbon and Energy Sources. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:672. [PMID: 29706937 PMCID: PMC5906575 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are an important group of toxic organic compounds naturally occurring in hydrocarbon deposits. This work shows that Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1 cells not only utilize a mixture of eight different NAs (8XNAs) for growth but they are also capable of marked degradation of two model NAs, cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (CHCA) and cyclopentanecarboxylic acid (CPCA) when supplied at concentrations from 50 to 500 mgL-1. The growth curves of BCP1 on 8XNAs, CHCA, and CPCA showed an initial lag phase not present in growth on glucose, which presumably was related to the toxic effects of NAs on the cell membrane permeability. BCP1 cell adaptation responses that allowed survival on NAs included changes in cell morphology, production of intracellular bodies and changes in fatty acid composition. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of BCP1 cells grown on CHCA or CPCA showed a slight reduction in the cell size, the production of EPS-like material and intracellular electron-transparent and electron-dense inclusion bodies. The electron-transparent inclusions increased in the amount and size in NA-grown BCP1 cells under nitrogen limiting conditions and contained storage lipids as suggested by cell staining with the lipophilic Nile Blue A dye. Lipidomic analyses revealed significant changes with increases of methyl-branched (MBFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) examining the fatty acid composition of NAs-growing BCP1 cells. PUFA biosynthesis is not usual in bacteria and, together with MBFA, can influence structural and functional processes with resulting effects on cell vitality. Finally, through the use of RT (Reverse Transcription)-qPCR, a gene cluster (chcpca) was found to be transcriptionally induced during the growth on CHCA and CPCA. Based on the expression and bioinformatics results, the predicted products of the chcpca gene cluster are proposed to be involved in aerobic NA degradation in R. aetherivorans BCP1. This study provides first insights into the genetic and metabolic mechanisms allowing a Rhodococcus strain to aerobically degrade NAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Presentato
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Martina Cappelletti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Sansone
- ISOF, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bologna, Italy
| | - Carla Ferreri
- ISOF, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Piacenza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Marc A. Demeter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Silvia Crognale
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Maurizio Petruccioli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Milazzo
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Fedi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alexander Steinbüchel
- Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raymond J. Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Davide Zannoni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Rochman FF, Kim JJ, Rijpstra WIC, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Schumann P, Verbeke TJ, Dunfield PF. Oleiharenicola alkalitolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the phylum Verrucomicrobia isolated from an oilsands tailings pond. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018; 68:1078-1084. [PMID: 29461179 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.002624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel member of the phylum Verrucomicrobia was isolated from an oilsands tailings pond in Alberta, Canada. Cells of isolate NVTT are Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, non-pigmented, non-motile cocci to diplococci 0.5-1.0 µm in diameter. The bacterium is neutrophilic (optimum pH 6.0-8.0) but alkalitolerant, capable of growth between pH 5.5 and 11.0. The temperature range for growth is 15-40 °C (optimum 25-37 °C). Carbon and energy sources include sugars and organic acids. Nitrogen sources include nitrate, urea, l-glycine, l-alanine, l-proline and l-serine. Does not fix atmospheric nitrogen. Does not require NaCl and is inhibited at NaCl concentrations above 3.0 % (w/v). The DNA G+C content of strain NVTT, based on a draft genome sequence, is 66.1 mol%. MK-6 and MK-7 are the major respiratory quinones. Major cellular fatty acids are anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strain belongs to the family Opitutaceae of the phylum Verrucomicrobia. The most closely related validated species is Opitutus terrae (93.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to its type strain PB90-1T). Based on genotypic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, it was concluded that this strain represents a novel genus and species, for which the name Oleiharenicola alkalitolerans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of this novel species is NVTT (=ATCC BAA-2697T;=DSM 29249T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauziah F Rochman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Joong-Jae Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - W Irene C Rijpstra
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Utrecht University, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap S Sinninghe Damsté
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Utrecht University, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.021, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Schumann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tobin J Verbeke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Peter F Dunfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Nafie G, Vitale G, Carbognani Ortega L, Nassar NN. Nanopyroxene Grafting with β-Cyclodextrin Monomer for Wastewater Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:42393-42407. [PMID: 29112365 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b13677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Emerging nanoparticle technology provides opportunities for environmentally friendly wastewater treatment applications, including those in the large liquid tailings containments in the Alberta oil sands. In this study, we synthesize β-cyclodextrin grafted nanopyroxenes to offer an ecofriendly platform for the selective removal of organic compounds typically present in these types of applications. We carry out computational modeling at the micro level through molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations and laboratory experiments at the macro level to understand the interactions between the synthesized nanomaterials and two-model naphthenic acid molecules (cyclopentanecarboxylic and trans-4-pentylcyclohexanecarboxylic acids) typically existing in tailing ponds. The proof-of-concept computational modeling and experiments demonstrate that monomer grafted nanopyroxene or nano-AE of the sodium iron-silicate aegirine are found to be promising candidates for the removal of polar organic compounds from wastewater, among other applications. These nano-AE offer new possibilities for treating tailing ponds generated by the oil sands industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghada Nafie
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gerardo Vitale
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lante Carbognani Ortega
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Nashaat N Nassar
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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35
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Li C, Fu L, Stafford J, Belosevic M, Gamal El-Din M. The toxicity of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW): A critical review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 601-602:1785-1802. [PMID: 28618666 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) are produced by the surface-mining oil sands industry in Alberta. Both laboratory and field studies have demonstrated that the exposure to OSPW leads to many physiological changes in a variety of organisms. Adverse effects include compromised immunological function, developmental delays, impaired reproduction, disrupted endocrine system, and higher prevalence of tissue-specific pathological manifestations. The composition of OSPW varies with several factors such as ore sources, mining process, and tailings management practices. Differences in water characteristics have confounded interpretation or comparison of OSPW toxicity across studies. Research on individual fractions extracted from OSPW has helped identify some target pollutants. Naphthenic acids (NAs) are considered as the major toxic components in OSPW, exhibiting toxic effects through multiple modes of action including narcosis and endocrine disruption. Other pollutants, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and ions may also contribute to the overall OSPW toxicity. Studies have been conducted on OSPW as a whole complex effluent mixture, with consideration of the presence of unidentified components, and the interactions (potential synergistic or antagonistic reactions) among chemicals. This review summarizes the toxicological data derived from in vitro and in vivo exposure studies using different OSPW types, and different taxa of organisms. In general, toxicity of OSPW was found to be dependent on the OSPW type and concentration, duration of exposures (acute versus sub chronic), and organism studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G1H9, Canada
| | - Li Fu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2E9, Canada
| | - James Stafford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2E9, Canada
| | - Miodrag Belosevic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2E9, Canada.
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G1H9, Canada.
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36
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Vitamin and Amino Acid Auxotrophy in Anaerobic Consortia Operating under Methanogenic Conditions. mSystems 2017; 2:mSystems00038-17. [PMID: 29104938 PMCID: PMC5663940 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00038-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial interactions between Archaea and Bacteria mediate many important chemical transformations in the biosphere from degrading abundant polymers to synthesis of toxic compounds. Two of the most pressing issues in microbial interactions are how consortia are established and how we can modulate these microbial communities to express desirable functions. Here, we propose that public goods (i.e., metabolites of high energy demand in biosynthesis) facilitate energy conservation for life under energy-limited conditions and determine the assembly and function of the consortia. Our report suggests that an understanding of public good dynamics could result in new ways to improve microbial pollutant degradation in anaerobic systems. Syntrophy among Archaea and Bacteria facilitates the anaerobic degradation of organic compounds to CH4 and CO2. Particularly during aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon mineralization, as in the case of crude oil reservoirs and petroleum-contaminated sediments, metabolic interactions between obligate mutualistic microbial partners are of central importance. Using micromanipulation combined with shotgun metagenomic approaches, we describe the genomes of complex consortia within short-chain alkane-degrading cultures operating under methanogenic conditions. Metabolic reconstruction revealed that only a small fraction of genes in the metagenome-assembled genomes encode the capacity for fermentation of alkanes facilitated by energy conservation linked to H2 metabolism. Instead, the presence of inferred lifestyles based on scavenging anabolic products and intermediate fermentation products derived from detrital biomass was a common feature. Additionally, inferred auxotrophy for vitamins and amino acids suggests that the hydrocarbon-degrading microbial assemblages are structured and maintained by multiple interactions beyond the canonical H2-producing and syntrophic alkane degrader-methanogen partnership. Compared to previous work, our report points to a higher order of complexity in microbial consortia engaged in anaerobic hydrocarbon transformation. IMPORTANCE Microbial interactions between Archaea and Bacteria mediate many important chemical transformations in the biosphere from degrading abundant polymers to synthesis of toxic compounds. Two of the most pressing issues in microbial interactions are how consortia are established and how we can modulate these microbial communities to express desirable functions. Here, we propose that public goods (i.e., metabolites of high energy demand in biosynthesis) facilitate energy conservation for life under energy-limited conditions and determine the assembly and function of the consortia. Our report suggests that an understanding of public good dynamics could result in new ways to improve microbial pollutant degradation in anaerobic systems.
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37
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Rochman FF, Sheremet A, Tamas I, Saidi-Mehrabad A, Kim JJ, Dong X, Sensen CW, Gieg LM, Dunfield PF. Benzene and Naphthalene Degrading Bacterial Communities in an Oil Sands Tailings Pond. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1845. [PMID: 29033909 PMCID: PMC5627004 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), produced by surface-mining of oil sands in Canada, is alkaline and contains high concentrations of salts, metals, naphthenic acids, and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs). Residual hydrocarbon biodegradation occurs naturally, but little is known about the hydrocarbon-degrading microbial communities present in OSPW. In this study, aerobic oxidation of benzene and naphthalene in the surface layer of an oil sands tailings pond were measured. The potential oxidation rates were 4.3 μmol L-1 OSPW d-1 for benzene and 21.4 μmol L-1 OSPW d-1 for naphthalene. To identify benzene and naphthalene-degrading microbial communities, metagenomics was combined with stable isotope probing (SIP), high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, and isolation of microbial strains. SIP using 13C-benzene and 13C-naphthalene detected strains of the genera Methyloversatilis and Zavarzinia as the main benzene degraders, while strains belonging to the family Chromatiaceae and the genus Thauera were the main naphthalene degraders. Metagenomic analysis revealed a diversity of genes encoding oxygenases active against aromatic compounds. Although these genes apparently belonged to many phylogenetically diverse taxa, only a few of these taxa were predominant in the SIP experiments. This suggested that many members of the community are adapted to consuming other aromatic compounds, or are active only under specific conditions. 16S rRNA gene sequence datasets have been submitted to the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under accession number SRP109130. The Gold Study and Project submission ID number in Joint Genome Institute IMG/M for the metagenome is Gs0047444 and Gp0055765.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauziah F Rochman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Andriy Sheremet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ivica Tamas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Alireza Saidi-Mehrabad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Joong-Jae Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Christoph W Sensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Institute of Computational Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Lisa M Gieg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Peter F Dunfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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38
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Foght JM, Gieg LM, Siddique T. The microbiology of oil sands tailings: past, present, future. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2017; 93:3064888. [PMID: 28334283 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface mining of enormous oil sands deposits in northeastern Alberta, Canada since 1967 has contributed greatly to Canada's economy but has also received negative international attention due largely to environmental concerns and challenges. Not only have microbes profoundly affected the composition and behavior of this petroleum resource over geological time, they currently influence the management of semi-solid tailings in oil sands tailings ponds (OSTPs) and tailings reclamation. Historically, microbial impacts on OSTPs were generally discounted, but next-generation sequencing and biogeochemical studies have revealed unexpectedly diverse indigenous communities and expanded our fundamental understanding of anaerobic microbial functions. OSTPs that experienced different processing and management histories have developed distinct microbial communities that influence the behavior and reclamation of the tailings stored therein. In particular, the interactions of Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes with methanogenic archaea impact greenhouse gas emissions, sulfur cycling, pore water toxicity, sediment biogeochemistry and densification, water usage and the trajectory of long-term mine waste reclamation. This review summarizes historical data; synthesizes current understanding of microbial diversity and activities in situ and in vitro; predicts microbial effects on tailings remediation and reclamation; and highlights knowledge gaps for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Foght
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Lisa M Gieg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Tariq Siddique
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G7
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39
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VanMensel D, Chaganti SR, Boudens R, Reid T, Ciborowski J, Weisener C. Investigating the Microbial Degradation Potential in Oil Sands Fluid Fine Tailings Using Gamma Irradiation: A Metagenomic Perspective. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 74:362-372. [PMID: 28246922 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-0953-7] [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: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Open-pit mining of the Athabasca oil sands has generated large volumes of waste termed fluid fine tailings (FFT), stored in tailings ponds. Accumulation of toxic organic substances in the tailings ponds is one of the biggest concerns. Gamma irradiation (GI) treatment could accelerate the biodegradation of toxic organic substances. Hence, this research investigates the response of the microbial consortia in GI-treated FFT materials with an emphasis on changes in diversity and organism-related stimuli. FFT materials from aged and fresh ponds were used in the study under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Variations in the microbial diversity in GI-treated FFT materials were monitored for 52 weeks and significant stimuli (p < 0.05) were observed. Chemoorganotrophic organisms dominated in fresh and aged ponds and showed increased relative abundance resulting from GI treatment. GI-treated anaerobic FFTaged reported stimulus of organisms with biodegradation potential (e.g., Pseudomonas, Enterobacter) and methylotrophic capabilities (e.g., Syntrophus, Smithella). In comparison, GI-treated anaerobic FFTfresh stimulated Desulfuromonas as the principle genus at 52 weeks. Under aerobic conditions, GI-treated FFTaged showed stimulation of organisms capable of sulfur and iron cycling (e.g., Geobacter). However, GI-treated aerobic FFTfresh showed no stimulus at 52 weeks. This research provides an enhanced understanding of oil sands tailings biogeochemistry and the impacts of GI treatment on microorganisms as an effect for targeting toxic organics. The outcomes of this study highlight the potential for this approach to accelerate stabilization and reclamation end points. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle VanMensel
- Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
| | - Subba Rao Chaganti
- Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Ryan Boudens
- Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Thomas Reid
- Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Jan Ciborowski
- Department of Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher Weisener
- Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Science, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
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40
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Zhang Y, Chelme-Ayala P, Klamerth N, Gamal El-Din M. Application of UV-irradiated Fe(III)-nitrilotriacetic acid (UV-Fe(III)NTA) and UV-NTA-Fenton systems to degrade model and natural occurring naphthenic acids. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 179:359-366. [PMID: 28388447 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are a highly complex mixture of organic compounds naturally present in bitumen and identified as the primary toxic constituent of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). This work investigated the degradation of cyclohexanoic acid (CHA), a model NA compound, and natural occurring NAs during the UV photolysis of Fe(III)-nitrilotriacetic acid (UV-Fe(III)NTA) and UV-NTA-Fenton processes. The results indicated that in the UV-Fe(III)NTA process at pH 8, the CHA removal increased with increasing NTA dose (0.18, 0.36 and 0.72 mM), while it was independent of the Fe(III) dose (0.09, 0.18 and 0.36 mM). Moreover, the three Fe concentrations had no influence on the photolysis of the Fe(III)NTA complex. The main responsible species for the CHA degradation was hydroxyl radical (OH), and the role of dissolved O2 in the OH generation was found to be negligible. Real OSPW was treated with the UV-Fe(III)NTA and UV-NTA-Fenton advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The removals of classical NAs (O2-NAs), oxidized NAs with one additional oxygen atom (O3-NAs) and with two additional oxygen atoms (O4-NAs) were 44.5%, 21.3%, and 25.2% in the UV-Fe(III)NTA process, respectively, and 98.4%, 86.0%, and 81.0% in the UV-NTA-Fenton process, respectively. There was no influence of O2 on the NA removal in these two processes. The results also confirmed the high reactivity of the O2-NA species with more carbons and increasing number of rings or double bond equivalents. This work opens a new window for the possible treatment of OSPW at natural pH using these AOPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Pamela Chelme-Ayala
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Nikolaus Klamerth
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
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41
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Huang C, Shi Y, Sheng Z, Gamal El-Din M, Liu Y. Characterization of microbial communities during start-up of integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) systems for the treatment of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). Biochem Eng J 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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43
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Xue J, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Gamal El-Din M. Dynamics of naphthenic acids and microbial community structures in a membrane bioreactor treating oil sands process-affected water: impacts of supplemented inorganic nitrogen and hydraulic retention time. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra01836c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was focused on how different operating conditions affected the biodegradation of naphthenic acids and the microbial community architectures in an anoxic–aerobic membrane bioreactor for oil sands process-affected water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinkai Xue
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- University of Alberta
- Edmonton
- Canada
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- University of Alberta
- Edmonton
- Canada
- Department of Civil Engineering
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- University of Alberta
- Edmonton
- Canada
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- University of Alberta
- Edmonton
- Canada
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44
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Leshuk T, de Oliveira Livera D, Peru KM, Headley JV, Vijayaraghavan S, Wong T, Gu F. Photocatalytic degradation kinetics of naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected water: Multifactorial determination of significant factors. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 165:10-17. [PMID: 27614398 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.08.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) is generated as a byproduct of bitumen extraction in Canada's oil sands. Due to the water's toxicity, associated with dissolved acid extractable organics (AEO), especially naphthenic acids (NAs), along with base-neutral organics, OSPW may require treatment to enable safe discharge to the environment. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for OSPW remediation, however, predicting treatment efficacy can be challenging due to the unique water chemistry of OSPW from different tailings ponds. The objective of this work was to study various factors affecting the kinetics of photocatalytic AEO degradation in OSPW. The rate of photocatalytic treatment varied significantly in two different OSPW sources, which could not be accounted for by differences in AEO composition, as studied by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The effects of inorganic water constituents were investigated using factorial and response surface experiments, which revealed that hydroxyl (HO) radical scavenging by iron (Fe3+) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) inhibited the NA degradation rate. The effects of NA concentration and temperature on the treatment kinetics were also evaluated in terms of Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Arrhenius models; pH and temperature were identified as weak factors, while dissolved oxygen (DO) was critical to the photo-oxidation reaction. Accounting for all of these variables, a general empirical kinetic expression is proposed, enabling prediction of photocatalytic treatment performance in diverse sources of OSPW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Leshuk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Kerry M Peru
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - John V Headley
- Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | | | - Timothy Wong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Frank Gu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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McQueen AD, Kinley CM, Rodgers JH, Friesen V, Bergsveinson J, Haakensen MC. Influence of commercial (Fluka) naphthenic acids on acid volatile sulfide (AVS) production and divalent metal precipitation. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2016; 134P1:86-94. [PMID: 27591804 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2016.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Energy-derived waters containing naphthenic acids (NAs) are complex mixtures often comprising a suite of potentially problematic constituents (e.g. organics, metals, and metalloids) that need treatment prior to beneficial use, including release to receiving aquatic systems. It has previously been suggested that NAs can have biostatic or biocidal properties that could inhibit microbially driven processes (e.g. dissimilatory sulfate reduction) used to transfer or transform metals in passive treatment systems (i.e. constructed wetlands). The overall objective of this study was to measure the effects of a commercially available (Fluka) NA on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), production of sulfides (as acid-volatile sulfides [AVS]), and precipitation of divalent metals (i.e. Cu, Ni, Zn). These endpoints were assessed following 21-d aqueous exposures of NAs using bench-scale reactors. After 21-days, AVS molar concentrations were not statistically different (p<0.0001; α=0.05) among NA treatments (10, 20, 40, 60, and 80mg NA/L) and an untreated control (no NAs). Extent of AVS production was sufficient in all NA treatments to achieve ∑SEM:AVS <1, indicating that conditions were conducive for treatment of metals, with sulfide ligands in excess of SEM (Cu, Ni, and Zn). In addition, no adverse effects to SRB (in terms of density, relative abundance, and diversity) were measured following exposures of a commercial NA. In this bench-scale study, dissimilatory sulfate reduction and subsequent metal precipitation were not vulnerable to NAs, indicating passive treatment systems utilizing sulfide production (AVS) could be used to treat metals occurring in NAs affected waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D McQueen
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Ciera M Kinley
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - John H Rodgers
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Vanessa Friesen
- Contango Strategies Limited, LFK Biotechnology Complex, 15-410 Downey Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 4N1
| | - Jordyn Bergsveinson
- Contango Strategies Limited, LFK Biotechnology Complex, 15-410 Downey Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 4N1
| | - Monique C Haakensen
- Contango Strategies Limited, LFK Biotechnology Complex, 15-410 Downey Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 4N1
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Xu X, Pliego G, Zazo JA, Casas JA, Rodriguez JJ. Mineralization of naphtenic acids with thermally-activated persulfate: The important role of oxygen. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2016; 318:355-362. [PMID: 27442986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study reports on the mineralization of model naphtenic acids (NAs) in aqueous solution by catalyst-free thermally-activated persulfate (PS) oxidation. These species are found to be pollutants in oil sands process-affected waters. The NAs tested include saturated-ring (cyclohexanecarboxylic and cyclohexanebutyric acids) and aromatic (2-naphthoic and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-naphthoic acids) structures, at 50mgL(-1)starting concentration. The effect of PS dose within a wide range (10-100% of the theoretical stoichiometric) and working temperature (40-97°C) was investigated. At 80°C and intitial pH=8 complete mineralization of the four NAs was achieved with 40-60% of the stoichiometric PS dose. This is explained because of the important contribution of oxygen, which was experimentally verified and was found to be more effective toward the NAs with a single cyclohexane ring than for the bicyclic aromatic-ring-bearing ones. The effect of chloride and bicarbonate was also checked. The former showed negative effect on the degradation rate of NAs whereas it was negligible or even positive for bicarbonate. The rate of mineralization was well described by simple pseudo-first order kinetics with values of the rate constants normalized to the PS dose within the range of 0.062-0.099h(-1). Apparent activation energy values between 93.7-105.3kJmol(-1) were obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyan Xu
- Chemical Engineering Section, University Autonoma of Madrid, Crta. Colmenar km 15, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Pliego
- Chemical Engineering Section, University Autonoma of Madrid, Crta. Colmenar km 15, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Zazo
- Chemical Engineering Section, University Autonoma of Madrid, Crta. Colmenar km 15, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose A Casas
- Chemical Engineering Section, University Autonoma of Madrid, Crta. Colmenar km 15, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan J Rodriguez
- Chemical Engineering Section, University Autonoma of Madrid, Crta. Colmenar km 15, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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47
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Han J, Yi Y, Lin K, Birks SJ, Gibson JJ, Borchers CH. Molecular profiling of naphthenic acids in technical mixtures and oil sands process-affected water using polar reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Electrophoresis 2016; 37:3089-3100. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201600250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Han
- University of Victoria-Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre; Vancouver Island Technology Park; Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Yi Yi
- Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures; Vancouver Island Technology Park; Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Karen Lin
- University of Victoria-Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre; Vancouver Island Technology Park; Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - S. Jean Birks
- Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures; Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - John J. Gibson
- Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures; Vancouver Island Technology Park; Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Christoph H. Borchers
- University of Victoria-Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre; Vancouver Island Technology Park; Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology; University of Victoria; Victoria British Columbia Canada
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48
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Kinley CM, Gaspari DP, McQueen AD, Rodgers JH, Castle JW, Friesen V, Haakensen M. Effects of environmental conditions on aerobic degradation of a commercial naphthenic acid. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 161:491-500. [PMID: 27459161 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are problematic constituents in energy-derived waters, and aerobic degradation may provide a strategy for mitigating risks to aquatic organisms. The overall objective of this study was to determine the influence of concentrations of N (as ammonia) and P (as phosphate), and DO, as well as pH and temperatures on degradation of a commercial NA in bench-scale reactors. Commercial NAs provided replicable compounds necessary to compare influences of environmental conditions on degradation. NAs were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Microbial diversity and relative abundance were measured in treatments as explanatory parameters for potential effects of environmental conditions on microbial populations to support analytically measured NA degradation. Environmental conditions that positively influenced degradation rates of Fluka NAs included nutrients (C:N 10:1-500:1, C:P 100:1-5000:1), DO (4.76-8.43 mg L(-1)), pH (6-8), and temperature (5-25 °C). Approximately 50% removal of 61 ± 8 mg L(-1) was achieved in less than 2 d after NA introduction, achieving the method detection limit (5 mg L(-1)) by day 6 of the experiment in treatments with a C:N:P ratio of 100:10:1, DO > 8 mg L(-1), pH ∼8-9, and temperatures >23 °C. Microbial diversity was lowest in lower temperature treatments (6-16 °C), which may have resulted in observed slower NA degradation. Based on results from this study, when macro- and micronutrients were available, DO, pH, and temperature (within environmentally relevant ranges) influenced rates of aerobic degradation of Fluka NAs. This study could serve as a model for systematically evaluating environmental factors that influence NA degradation in field scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciera M Kinley
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Daniel P Gaspari
- Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 300 Brackett Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Andrew D McQueen
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - John H Rodgers
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - James W Castle
- Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 300 Brackett Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Vanessa Friesen
- Contango Strategies, 410 Downey Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 4N1, Canada
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49
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Wang C, Klamerth N, Messele SA, Singh A, Belosevic M, Gamal El-Din M. Comparison of UV/hydrogen peroxide, potassium ferrate(VI), and ozone in oxidizing the organic fraction of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). WATER RESEARCH 2016; 100:476-485. [PMID: 27232992 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2016.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of three different oxidation processes, UV/H2O2 oxidation, ferrate(VI) oxidation, and ozonation with and without hydroxyl radical (OH) scavenger tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) on the removal of organic compounds from oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) was investigated and compared. The removal of aromatics and naphthenic acids (NAs) was explored by synchronous fluorescence spectra (SFS), ion mobility spectra (IMS), proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H and (13)C NMR), and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC TOF-MS). UV/H2O2 oxidation occurred through radical reaction and photolysis, transforming one-ring, two-ring, and three-ring fluorescing aromatics simultaneously and achieving 42.4% of classical NAs removal at 2.0 mM H2O2 and 950 mJ/cm(2) UV dose provided with medium pressure mercury lamp. Ferrate(VI) oxidation exhibited high selectivity, preferentially removing two-ring and three-ring fluorescing aromatics, sulfur-containing NAs (NAs + S), and NAs with high carbon and high hydrogen deficiency. At 2.0 mM Fe(VI), 46.7% of classical NAs was removed. Ozonation achieved almost complete removal of fluorescing aromatics, NAs + S, and classical NAs (NAs with two oxygen atoms) at the dose of 2.0 mM O3. Both molecular ozone reaction and OH reaction were important pathways in transforming the organics in OSPW as supported by ozonation performance with and without TBA. (1)H NMR analyses further confirmed the removal of aromatics and NAs both qualitatively and quantitatively. All the three oxidation processes reduced the acute toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri and on goldfish primary kidney macrophages (PKMs), with ozonation being the most efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjin Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Nikolaus Klamerth
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Selamawit Ashagre Messele
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Arvinder Singh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada
| | - Miodrag Belosevic
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2W2, Canada
| | - Mohamed Gamal El-Din
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada.
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50
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Dong F, Nemati M. Anoxic biodegradation of a surrogate naphthenic acid coupled to reduction of nitrite. Biochem Eng J 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2016.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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