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Thomas PJ, Eickmeyer DC, Eccles KM, Kimpe LE, Felzel E, Brouwer A, Letcher RJ, Maclean BD, Chan LHM, Blais JM. Paleotoxicity of petrogenic and pyrogenic hydrocarbon mixtures in sediment cores from the Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta (Canada). Environ Pollut 2022; 292:118271. [PMID: 34627963 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry in Northern Alberta, significant concerns exist regarding the impacts of increased oil production on the environment and human health. Several studies have highlighted increases in the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and other hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, water, soil and sediments, plants, wildlife and fish in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) as a result of oil sands industrial activity. Sediment cores can provide information on the temporal trends of contaminants to the environment and provide important baseline information when monitoring data are absent. Here we combined analytical chemistry and a mammalian cell-based bioassay in dated lake sediment cores to assess paleotoxicity in freshwater systems in the AOSR. Sediment intervals were radiometrically dated and subsequently analysed for PACs. PAC extracts from select dated intervals were used in cell-based bioassays to evaluate their endocrine disrupting properties. We demonstrated spatial and temporal variability in the PAC composition of sediment cores around the AOSR with some of the highest concentrations of PACs detected near oil sands industrial activity north of Fort McMurray (AB) in La Saline Natural Area. Recent sediment had positive enrichment factors across most PAC analytes at this site with heavier pyrogenic compounds such as benz(a)anthracene/chrysene and benzofluoranthene/benzopyrene dominating. Our study is the first to link chemical analysis of sediment cores with biological effect assessments of endocrine activity showing feasibility of extending the usefulness of sediment cores in monitoring programs interested in complex mixture assessments. While we observed no spatial or temporal differences in ERα mediated signaling, AhR CALUX results mirrored those of the chemical analysis, demonstrating the utility of coupling biological effects assessments to historical reconstructions of contaminant inputs to the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe J Thomas
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - David C Eickmeyer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Kristin M Eccles
- Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Emiel Felzel
- BioDetection Systems, Science Park 406, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Abraham Brouwer
- BioDetection Systems, Science Park 406, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Bruce D Maclean
- Maclean Environmental Consulting (for Mikisew Cree First Nation), 812 Jubilee Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3L 1P9, Canada
| | - Laurie H M Chan
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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