scholarly journals Use of pre-industrial baselines to monitor anthropogenic enrichment of metals concentrations in recently deposited sediment of floodplain lakes in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Alberta, Canada)

2020 ◽  
Vol 192 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanner J. Owca ◽  
Mitchell L. Kay ◽  
Jelle Faber ◽  
Casey R. Remmer ◽  
Nelson Zabel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
River Sediment ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Metal Aluminum ◽  
Sediment Metals ◽  
Northern Alberta

AbstractWell-designed monitoring approaches are needed to assess effects of industrial development on downstream aquatic environments and guide environmental stewardship. Here, we develop and apply a monitoring approach to detect potential enrichment of metals concentrations in surficial lake sediments of the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), northern Alberta, Canada. Since the ecological integrity of the PAD is strongly tied to river floodwaters that replenish lakes in the delta, and the PAD is located downstream of the Alberta oil sands, concerns have been raised over the potential transport of industry-supplied metals to the PAD via the Athabasca River. Surface sediment samples were collected in September 2017 from 61 lakes across the delta, and again in July 2018 from 20 of the same lakes that had received river floodwaters 2 months earlier, to provide snapshots of metals concentrations (Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) that have recently accumulated in these lakes. To assess for anthropogenic enrichment, surficial sediment metals concentrations were normalized to aluminum and compared to pre-industrial baseline (i.e., reference) metal-aluminum linear relations for the Athabasca and Peace sectors of the PAD developed from pre-1920 measurements in lake sediment cores. Numerical analysis demonstrates no marked enrichment of these metals concentrations above pre-1920 baselines despite strong ability (> 99% power) to detect enrichment of 10%. Measurements of river sediment collected by the Regional Aquatics- and Oil Sands-Monitoring Programs (RAMP/OSM) also did not exceed pre-1920 concentrations. Thus, results presented here show no evidence of substantial oil sands-derived metals enrichment of sediment supplied by the Athabasca River to lakes in the PAD and demonstrate the usefulness of these methods as a monitoring framework.

scholarly journals Streamflow input to Lake Athabasca, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1681-1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Rasouli ◽  
M. A. Hernández-Henríquez ◽  
S. J. Déry
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Ramsar Convention ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Oil Reserves ◽  
Mk Test ◽  
Streamflow Variability ◽  
Shift Detection

Abstract. The Lake Athabasca drainage area in northern Canada encompasses ecologically rich and sensitive ecosystems, vast forests, glacier-clad mountains, and abundant oil reserves in the form of oil sands. The basin includes the Peace–Athabasca Delta, recognized internationally by UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention as a biologically rich inland delta and wetland that are now under increasing pressure from multiple stressors. In this study, streamflow variability and trends for rivers feeding Lake Athabasca are investigated over the last half century. Hydrological regimes and trends are established using a robust regime shift detection method and the Mann–Kendall (MK) test, respectively. Results show that the Athabasca River, which is the main contributor to the total lake inflow, experienced marked declines in recent decades impacting lake levels and its ecosystem. From 1960 to 2010 there was a significant reduction in lake inflow and a significant recession in the Lake Athabasca level. Our trend analysis corroborates a previous study using proxy data obtained from nearby sediment cores suggesting that the lake level may drop 2 to 3 m by 2100. The lake recession may threaten the flora and fauna of the Athabasca Lake basin and negatively impact the ecological cycle of an inland freshwater delta and wetland of global importance.

scholarly journals Accessing and Mobilizing “New” Data to Evaluate Emerging Environmental Impacts on Semi-Aquatic Mammals

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 345
Author(s):  
Glynnis A. Hood
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Knowledge Mobilization ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Wood Buffalo National Park ◽  
Northeastern Alberta ◽  
Northern Alberta ◽  
Aquatic Mammals

This paper describes how knowledge mobilization evolved during a study that assessed a proposed increase in industrial water withdrawals from the Athabasca River in northern Alberta, Canada, and potential impacts on a suite of freshwater semi-aquatic mammals in the broader ecosystem. The oil sands region in northeastern Alberta faces various pressures that require rapid knowledge mobilization and decision making, while still acknowledging ecological sensitivities immediately downstream in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) in the Wood Buffalo National Park. Data were acquired using a multi-faceted approach, including literature reviews, acquisition and synthesis of raw data, and interviews with local knowledge holders. The final outcome of the study was then contextualized relative to elements of knowledge mobilization: (1) research, (2) dissemination, (3) uptake, (4) implementation, and (5) impact. Knowledge mobilization was easiest to quantify for the first two elements, yet was still present in varying forms in the latter stages. The cultural importance of beavers, muskrats, river otters, and mink for communities associated with the Athabasca River and the PAD allowed for increased engagement during all stages of the research process, which then facilitated the co-production of potential solutions among different organization and perspectives.

scholarly journals Potential Influence of Sewage Phosphorus and Wet and Dry Deposition Detected in Fish Collected in the Athabasca River North of Fort McMurray

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Tim J. Arciszewski ◽  
Mark E. McMaster
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Wet And Dry Deposition ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Natural Factors ◽  
Spatial Confounding ◽  
Northeastern Alberta ◽  
Urban Activity

The health of fish is a primary indicator of ecosystem response in the Oil Sands Region of northeastern Alberta. However, industrial activity is accompanied by other stressors, such as the discharge of sewage, municipal activity, forest fires, and natural weathering and erosion of bitumen. To combat the spatial confounding influences, we examined white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) captured in the Athabasca River at sites over time (2011–2019) and included covariates to account for the possible sources of influence. The analyses suggest spatially heterogeneous influences of natural factors on fish, such as discharge and air temperature, but also the influence of sewage phosphorus and precipitation. Among the stressors examined here, precipitation may be the most complex and may include a mixture of sources including inputs from tributaries, urban activity, industrial development, and forest fires. Although suggestive, the attribution of variance and detection of changes are affected by sample sizes in some years; these analyses may have missed effects or misspecified important relationships, especially in males. Despite these limitations, the analyses suggest potential differences may be associated with precipitation and highlight the need to integrate robust information on known and suspected stressors in future monitoring of aquatic ecosystems in the oil sands region and beyond.

scholarly journals Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 202 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Schindler
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
River System ◽  
Industrial Area ◽  
Water Monitoring ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Pulp Mills ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Zone Industrielle

I summarize the controversies about industrial pollutants in freshwaters near the oil sands industrial area of Alberta, the inadequacies in environmental monitoring that have led to widespread misconceptions, and recent attempts to correct the problems.  Adequate data are available to show that mercury, other trace metals, and polycyclic aromatic compounds are being added by industry to the Athabasca river system and its watershed, although the relative contributions of industrial development and natural sources remain in question.  Recent improvements in water monitoring by Environment Canada show promise of resolving the controversies, although independent governance for Canada’s and Alberta’s water monitoring programs in the lower Athabasca River will be necessary to rebuild public confidence in the data and their interpretation by government and industry.  I document one success story in the Athabasca River: the elimination of dioxins from pulp mills in the mid-1990s has caused a consumption advisory for fish in the river to be repealed.SOMMAIREJe présente ci-dessous un résumé des controverses concernant les polluants industriels dans les eaux douces à proximité de la zone industrielle des sables bitumineux de l'Alberta, des lacunes dans la surveillance des milieux de vie à l’origine d’idées fausses répandues, et de récentes tentatives visant à corriger les problèmes.  Des données adéquates démontrent que l’industrie ajoute du mercure et d'autres métaux traces ainsi que des composés aromatiques polycycliques dans le système fluvial de la rivière Athabasca et dans son bassin versant, bien que les contributions relatives provenant de ces activités industrielles et de sources naturelles demeurent toujours en litige.  De récentes améliorations apportées au contrôle des eaux par Environnement Canada permettent d’espérer une résolution des controverses, mais l’application d’une gouvernance indépendante des programmes de contrôle de l'eau de l'Alberta du Canada dans la partie inférieure du fleuve Athabasca sera nécessaire pour rétablir la confiance de la population à l’égard des données présentées et de leur interprétation par le gouvernement et l'industrie.  Je décrie l’histoire d’une intervention réussie dans la rivière Athabasca, soit l'élimination de dioxines provenant des usines de pâte du milieu des années 1990 et qui a abouti à l’abrogation d’un avis de limitation de la consommation de poisson dans la rivière.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12789/geocanj.2013.40.012

scholarly journals Broad diversity of bacteria degrading 17ß-estradiol-3-sulfate isolated from river sediment and biofilm at a wastewater treatment plant discharge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Mainetti ◽  
Marilena Palmisano ◽  
Fabio Rezzonico ◽  
Blaž Stres ◽  
Susanne Kern ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
River Sediment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Degrading Bacteria ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
Aquatic Wildlife ◽  
Harmful Effects

AbstractConjugated estrogens, such as 17β-estradiol-3-sulfate (E2-3S), can be released into aquatic environments through wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). There, they are microbiologically degraded into free estrogens, which can have harmful effects on aquatic wildlife. Here, the degradation of E2-3S in environmental samples taken upstream, downstream and at the effluent of a WWTP was assessed. Sediment and biofilm samples were enriched for E2-3S-degrading microorganisms, yielding a broad diversity of bacterial isolates, including known and novel degraders of estrogens. Since E2-3S-degrading bacteria were also isolated in the sample upstream of the WWTP, the WWTP does not influence the ability of the microbial community to degrade E2-3S.

Using sediment cores to establish targets for the remediation of aquatic environments

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Lintern ◽  
Marion Anderson ◽  
Paul Leahy ◽  
Ana Deletic ◽  
David McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Quality Guidelines ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Water And Sediment Quality

When assigning site-specific restoration targets for deteriorating aquatic systems, it is necessary to have an understanding of the undisturbed or background state of the system. However, the site-specific characteristics of aquatic systems prior to disturbance are mostly unknown, due to the lack of historical water and sediment quality data. This study aims to introduce a method for filling this gap in our understanding, using dated sediment cores from the beds of aquatic environments. We used Bolin Billabong, a floodplain lake of the Yarra River (South-East Australia), as a case study to demonstrate the application of this method. We identified the concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, tin and zinc at 8 cm intervals through the sediment core. This showed that aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, tin and zinc concentrations in Bolin Billabong sediments significantly increased after European settlement in the river catchment in the mid-19th century. The differences between current Australian sediment quality guidelines trigger values and the background metal concentrations in Bolin Billabong sediments underscore the value of using locally relevant background toxicant concentrations when setting water and sediment quality targets.

scholarly journals “Fighting the Same Old Battle”: Obscured Oil Sands Entanglements in Press Coverage of Indigenous Resistance in the Winter of 1983

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia H. Audette-Longo
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Newspaper Coverage ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Indigenous Resistance ◽  
Fort Mcmurray ◽  
Energy Politics ◽  
Northern Alberta

Background  This article examines a week-long road blockade that took place in northern Alberta in January, 1983, organized by members of the Fort McKay First Nation and the Fort McKay Métis Community. The communities leveraged their blockade against a logging company, expanding the conversation to demand compensation, tougher oil sands pollution management, and better healthcare access. Analysis  A critical discourse analysis of newspaper coverage of the blockade in the local Fort McMurray Today and the provincial Edmonton Journal shows how links between the blockade and broader oil sands politics were minimized. Conclusions and implications  The article closes with considerations for contemporary journalistic practices of covering oil development, energy politics, and Indigenous resistance.Contexte  Cet article examine le blocus d’une semaine organisé par la Première Nation de Fort McKay et la Communauté Métis de Fort McKay au nord de l’Alberta en janvier 1983. Ces communautés ont mis à profit leur blocus contre une entreprise forestière pour demander des compensations, une gestion plus stricte de la pollution provenant des sables bitumineux et un meilleur accès aux soins.Analyse  Une analyse critique du discours utilisé pour parler du blocus dans les journaux, au niveau local dans le Fort McMurray Today et au niveau provincial dans le Edmonton Journal, démontre comment les liens entre le blocus et les politiques plus larges des sables bitumineux ont été minimisés.Conclusion et implications  L’article conclut avec des considérations pour les pratiques journalistiques contemporaines dans la couverture du développement pétrolier, politiques énergétiques et résistance autochtone.

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