scholarly journals Temporal and Spatial Trends of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Air across the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Reflect Inputs from Open Pit Mining and Forest Fires

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 178-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin K. Schuster ◽  
Tom Harner ◽  
Ky Su ◽  
Anita Eng ◽  
Andrzej Wnorowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands Region ◽  
Spatial Trends ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Trends

scholarly journals Comparison of polycyclic aromatic compounds in air measured by conventional passive air samplers and passive dry deposition samplers and contributions from petcoke and oil sands ore

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 9161-9171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narumol Jariyasopit ◽  
Yifeng Zhang ◽  
Jonathan W. Martin ◽  
Tom Harner
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Dry Deposition ◽  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Conventional passive air samplers (PAS) and passive dry deposition samplers (PAS-DD) were deployed along a 90 km south–north transect at five sites in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) during October to November 2015. The purpose was to compare and characterize the performance of the two passive sampling methods for targeted compounds across a range of site types. Samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs). ΣPAC and ΣNPAH concentrations were highest in PAS and PAS-DD samplers at site AMS5, which is the closest sampling site to surface mining and upgrading facilities. The OPAHs were elevated at site AMS6, which is located in the town of Fort McMurray, approximately 30 km south of the main mining area. PAS-DD was enriched relative to PAS in particle-associated target chemicals, which is consistent with the relatively more open design of PAS-DD intended to capture particle-phase (and gas-phase) deposition. Petroleum coke (petcoke) (i.e., the carbonaceous byproduct of bitumen upgrading) and oil sands ore (i.e., the material mined in open-pit mines from which bitumen is extracted) were assessed for their potential to be a source of PACs to air in the oil sands region. The ore samples contained ∼ 8 times and ∼ 40 times higher ΣPACs concentrations (dry weight basis) than delayed and fluid petcoke, respectively. The residue analysis of ore and petcoke samples also revealed that the chemical 4-nitrobiphenyl (4-NBP) can be used to track gas-phase emissions to air. A comparison of chemical residues in ore, petcoke, and air samples revealed that the ore is likely a major contributor to volatile PACs present in air and that both ore and petcoke are contributing to the particle-associated PACs in air near open-pit mining areas. The contribution of petcoke particles in passive air samples was also confirmed qualitatively using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

scholarly journals Comparison of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Air Measured by Conventional Passive and Passive Dry Deposition Samplers and Contributions from Petcoke and Oil Sands Ore

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narumol Jariyasopit ◽  
Yifeng Zhang ◽  
Jonathan W. Martin ◽  
Tom Harner
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Dry Deposition ◽  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Conventional passive air samplers (PAS) and passive dry deposition (PAS-DD) samplers were deployed along a 90 km south-north transect at five sites in the Athabasca oil sands region during October to November 2015. The purpose was to compare and characterize the performance of the two passive sampling methods for targeted compounds across a range of site types. Samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs). ΣPAC and ΣNPAH concentrations were highest in PAS and PAS-DD samplers at site AMS5, which is the closest sampling site to surface mining and upgrading facilities. The OPAHs were elevated at site AMS6, which is located in the town of Fort McMurray, approximately 30 km south of the main mining area. The PAS-DD was enriched relative to the PAS in particle associated target chemicals, which is consistent with the relatively more open design of the PAS-DD intended to capture particle- (and gas-phase) deposition. Petroleum coke (petcoke) (i.e. the carbonaceous by-product of bitumen upgrading) and oil sands ore (i.e. the material mined in open pit mines from which bitumen is extracted) were assessed for their potential to be a source of PACs to air in the oil sands region. The ore samples contained ~ 8 times and ~ 40 times higher ΣPACs concentrations (dry weight basis) than delayed and fluid petcoke, respectively. The residue analysis of ore and petcoke samples also revealed that the chemical 4-nitrobiphenyl (4-NBP) can be used to track gas-phase emissions to air. A comparison of chemical residues in ore, petcoke and air samples revealed that the ore is likely a major contributor to volatile PACs present in air and that both ore and petcoke are contributing to the particle-associated PACs in air near open pit mining areas. The contribution of petcoke particles in passive air samples was also confirmed qualitatively using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

scholarly journals Emissions databases for polycyclic aromatic compounds in the Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands Region – development using current knowledge and evaluation with passive sampling and air dispersion modelling data

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Qiu ◽  
Irene Cheng ◽  
Fuquan Yang ◽  
Erin Horb ◽  
Leiming Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Voc Emissions ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands Region ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Two speciated and spatially-resolved emissions databases for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) were developed. The first database was derived from volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions data provided by the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA) and the second database was derived from additional data collected within the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program. CALPUFF modelling results for atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), alkylated PAH, and dibenzothiophenes (DBT), obtained using each of the emissions databases, are presented and compared with measurements from a passive air monitoring network. The JOSM-derived emissions resulted in better model-measurement agreement in the total PAH concentrations and for most PAH species concentrations, compared to results using CEMA-derived emissions. At local sites near oil sands mines, the percent error of the model compared to observations decreased from 30 % using the CEMA-derived emissions to 17 % using the JOSM-derived emissions. The improvement at local sites was likely attributed to the inclusion of updated tailings pond emissions estimated from JOSM activities. In either the CEMA-derived or JOSM-derived emissions scenario, the model underestimated PAH concentrations by a factor of 3 at remote locations. Potential reasons for the disagreement include forest fire emissions, re-emissions of previously deposited PAHs, and long-range transport not considered in the model. Alkylated PAH and DBT concentrations were also significantly underestimated. The CALPUFF model is expected to predict higher concentrations because of the limited chemistry and deposition modelling. Thus the model underestimation of PACs is likely due to gaps in the emissions database for these compounds and uncertainties in the methodology for estimating the emissions. Future work is required that focuses on improving the PAC emission estimation and speciation methodologies and reducing the uncertainties in VOC emissions which are subsequently used in PAC emissions estimation.

scholarly journals Emissions databases for polycyclic aromatic compounds in the Canadian Athabasca oil sands region – development using current knowledge and evaluation with passive sampling and air dispersion modelling data

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 3457-3467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Qiu ◽  
Irene Cheng ◽  
Fuquan Yang ◽  
Erin Horb ◽  
Leiming Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Voc Emissions ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands Region ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Two speciated and spatially resolved emissions databases for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) were developed. The first database was derived from volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions data provided by the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA) and the second database was derived from additional data collected within the Joint Canada–Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program. CALPUFF modelling results for atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylated PAHs, and dibenzothiophenes (DBTs), obtained using each of the emissions databases, are presented and compared with measurements from a passive air monitoring network. The JOSM-derived emissions resulted in better model–measurement agreement in the total PAH concentrations and for most PAH species concentrations compared to results using CEMA-derived emissions. At local sites near oil sands mines, the percent error of the model compared to observations decreased from 30 % using the CEMA-derived emissions to 17 % using the JOSM-derived emissions. The improvement at local sites was likely attributed to the inclusion of updated tailings pond emissions estimated from JOSM activities. In either the CEMA-derived or JOSM-derived emissions scenario, the model underestimated PAH concentrations by a factor of 3 at remote locations. Potential reasons for the disagreement include forest fire emissions, re-emissions of previously deposited PAHs, and long-range transport not considered in the model. Alkylated PAH and DBT concentrations were also significantly underestimated. The CALPUFF model is expected to predict higher concentrations because of the limited chemistry and deposition modelling. Thus the model underestimation of PACs is likely due to gaps in the emissions database for these compounds and uncertainties in the methodology for estimating the emissions. Future work is required that focuses on improving the PAC emissions estimation and speciation methodologies and reducing the uncertainties in VOC emissions which are subsequently used in PAC emissions estimation.

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