scholarly journals The Appropriateness of Using Aquatic Snails as Bioindicators of Toxicity for Oil Sands Process-Affected Water

Pollutants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
Zhongzhi Chen ◽  
Brian Eaton ◽  
Jim Davies
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Mining Activity ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Freshwater Snails ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Freshwater Gastropods ◽  
Monitoring Programs ◽  
Oil Sands Mining ◽  
Potential Risks

Canada’s oil sands mining activity produces large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), and there have been increasing concerns regarding the potential environmental impacts associated with this material. Developing an understanding of the toxicity of OSPW is critical to anticipating and mitigating the potential risks and effects of the oil sands industry on surrounding ecosystems. The composition of OSPW is highly variable and is influenced by a range of factors. While numerous research projects have been conducted on the toxicity of OSPW, much remains unknown about its impact on various biota. Freshwater gastropods (snails and slugs) are an ecologically crucial aquatic group, and members of this taxa have been used as bioindicators in a range of ecological settings. The literature suggests freshwater snails could be used as an indicator of toxicity in monitoring programs associated with oil sands development. This mini-review explores the use of snails as bioindicators in aquatic systems affected by oil sands development, focusing on how snails may respond to potential constituents of concern in systems exposed to OSPW.

Improvements to production planning in oil sands mining through analysis and simulation of truck cycle times

CIM Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Goris Cervantes ◽  
S. P. Upadhyay ◽  
H. Askari-Nasab
Keyword(s):  
Production Planning ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Cycle Times ◽  
Oil Sands Mining

scholarly journals Assessing the leaching behavior of different gunshot materials in natural spring waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Fäth ◽  
Axel Göttlein
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Risks ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Toxicity Tests ◽  
Toxicity Screening ◽  
Leaching Tests ◽  
Leaching Behavior ◽  
Thin Coatings ◽  
Toxicological Effects ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Natural Spring

Abstract Background Owing to the high environmental risk of lead-based gunshot, especially as the main source of acute lead poisoning in waterfowl, restrictions on its use in European wetlands are being put into place. In order to assess potential risks of alternative gunshot pellets to aquatic systems, we validated a recently published study that compared the leaching behavior of different game shot materials in an artificial solution and their toxicological effects to Daphnia magna. We therefore investigated the altered leaching of shot materials in natural spring waters. Results The different water conditions (geology/redox conditions) had a strong influence on the leaching behavior of the examined shot types. Spring water originating from siliceous bedrock showed the highest concentrations of nearly all leached metals under aerobic conditions. The results were similar to the former study, which used an artificial standardized medium for daphnids. Conclusions According to the conducted leaching tests, Cu- and Zn-based as well as Zn-coated gunshot should be avoided by reason of the high risks they pose to the aquatic environment. Furthermore, the use of Pb-based and Ni-alloyed or -coated game shot also should be hampered owing to their impact on birds or other wildlife. Since some of these shot materials are still on the European market, an effective toxicity screening of alternative gunshot materials is necessary. By conducting standardized leaching tests, in addition to chemical compositional standards and toxicity tests regarding birds, the environmental risks of each game shot would entirely be assessed. The method presented in this study provides a further step for initial ecotoxicological risk assessment of gunshot for aquatic systems, since it additionally assesses minor components, like thin coatings, which also can have a high impact to these ecosystems.

scholarly journals Essential Oil-Based Bioherbicides: Human Health Risks Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9396
Author(s):  
Chloë Maes ◽  
Jeroen Meersmans ◽  
Laurence Lins ◽  
Sandrine Bouquillon ◽  
Marie-Laure Fauconnier
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Essential Oil ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Human Health Risks ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Negative Side Effects

In recent years, the development of new bio-based products for biocontrol has been gaining importance as it contributes to reducing the use of synthetic herbicides in agriculture. Conventional herbicides (i.e., the ones with synthetic molecules) can lead to adverse effects such as human diseases (cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, reproductive perturbations, etc.) but also to disturbing the environment because of their drift in the air, transport throughout aquatic systems and persistence across different environments. The use of natural molecules seems to be a very good alternative for maintaining productive agriculture but without the negative side effects of synthetic herbicides. In this context, essential oils and their components are increasingly studied in order to produce several categories of biopesticides thanks to their well-known biocidal activities. However, these molecules can also be potentially hazardous to humans and the environment. This article reviews the state of the literature and regulations with regard to the potential risks related to the use of essential oils as bioherbicides in agricultural and horticultural applications.

Life Cycle Assessment of Photovoltaics; Update of the ecoinvent Database

2007 ◽  
Vol 1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Jungbluth ◽  
Roberto Dones ◽  
Rolf Frischknecht
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Industry Association ◽  
Ecoinvent Database ◽  
Federal Authority ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Production Stages ◽  
Background Database

AbstractRecently, the data for photovoltaics in the ecoinvent database have been updated on behalf of the European Photovoltaics Industry Association and the Swiss Federal Authority for Energy. Data have been collected in this project directly from manufacturers and were provided by other research projects. LCA studies from different authors are considered for the assessment. The information is used to elaborate a life cycle inventory from cradle to grave for the PV electricity production in 3kWp plants in the year 2005.The inventories cover mono- and polycrystalline cells, amorphous and ribbon-silicon, CdTe and CIS thin film cells. Environmental impacts due to the infrastructure for all production stages and the effluents from wafer production are also considered. The ecoinvent database is used as background database.Results from the LCA study are presented, comparing different types of cells and analysing also the electricity production in a range of different countries. It is also discussed how the environmental impacts of photovoltaics have been reduced over the last 15 years, using the CED indicator. The consistent and coherent LCI datasets for basic processes make it easier to perform LCA studies, and increase the credibility and acceptance of the life cycle results. The content of the PV LCI datasets is made publicly available via the website www.ecoinvent.org for ecoinvent members.

A Risk Assessment Framework for Evaluating Health Risks From New and Emerging Waste Management Technologies

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen G. Zemba ◽  
James J. Binder ◽  
Michael R. Ames ◽  
Richard R. Lester
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Landfill Liners ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Conversion Technologies

Until recently, landfills and waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities were the two basic technologies available to process residual (post-recycled) municipal solid waste. These technologies have both advantages and drawbacks, and their relative merits have been debated many different ways. Risk assessments of both technologies have been used to examine their potential threats to human health and the environment, and have found both landfills and WTE facilities can be operated in an environmentally acceptable manner. Neither alternative, however, has gained general public acceptance, and planned projects are often controversial. There remains considerable skepticism, for example, that landfill liners will be effective over long periods of time, and a general uneasiness over the safety of waste combustion. The interest in emerging conversion technologies, such as gasification and anaerobic digestion, as an alternative to conventional landfills and WTE facilities is thus understandable. However, there is some concern that the environmental impacts of conversion technologies are not well understood, as no commercial facilities exist in the United States. Development of a risk assessment framework for evaluating conversion technologies will serve two purposes. First, it will ultimately facilitate objective evaluation of potential risks to health and the environment as well as comparative evaluation with respect to traditional landfill and WTE technologies. Second, it will initiate a conceptual model of environmental impacts that will be useful in identifying key emissions and data gaps. Our presentation will set forth an initial risk assessment framework, focusing on the emissions and residuals of conversion technologies, and using available data to characterize and project health risk impacts.

scholarly journals Growth Response of Aspen and Alder to Fresh and Stockpiled Reclamation Soils

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwadwo Omari ◽  
Sanatan Gupta ◽  
Bradley Pinno
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Oil Sands Mining ◽  
Potassium Supply ◽  
Phosphorus And Potassium

Soil stockpiling is a common reclamation practice used in oil sands mining in the boreal forest region of Canada to conserve soil resources; but stockpiling may have detrimental effects on soil quality and plant growth. We examined growth response of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), a fast-growing early successional tree, and green alder (Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC. ssp crispa (Ait.) Turrill), a nitrogen-fixing shrub, to stockpiling and fertilization treatments on two reclamation soils (forest floor mineral mix (FFMM) and peat mineral mix (PMM)). Aspen and alder seeds were planted and their growth monitored for four months in the greenhouse. We found that unfertilized stockpiled FFMM supported significantly higher aspen and alder aboveground biomass than the other fresh and stockpiled soils. Phosphorus and potassium supply rates were highest in stockpiled FFMM and were positively correlated with aboveground plant biomass. There was no significant difference in aspen and alder aboveground biomasses between unfertilized fresh FFMM and PMM soils. Aspen grown in combination with nitrogen-fixing alder did not experience competition or facilitation except on fresh PMM, where aspen height declined. Fertilization increased both aspen and alder growth and eliminated differences in growth between soil types and stockpiling treatments. Our study showed that individual soil properties are more important for revegetation purposes than type of soil or stockpiling treatment.

scholarly journals Air Quality Predictions using Measurement-Derived Organic Gaseous and Particle Emissions in a Petrochemical-Dominated Region

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. Stroud ◽  
Paul A. Makar ◽  
Junhua Zhang ◽  
Michael D. Moran ◽  
Ayodeji Akingunola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Organic Compound ◽  
Volatile Organic Compound ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Oil Sands Mining ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. This study assesses the impact of revised volatile organic compound (VOC) and organic aerosol (OA) emissions estimates in the GEM-MACH (Global Environmental Multiscale‒Modelling Air Quality and CHemistry) chemical transport model, driven with two different emissions input datasets, using observations from the 2013 Joint Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) intensive field study. The first emissions dataset (base-case run) makes use of regulatory reported VOC and particulate matter emissions data for the large oil sands mining facilities in northeastern Alberta, Canada, while the second emissions dataset (sensitivity run) uses emissions estimates based on box-flight aircraft observations around specific facilities (Li et al., 2017, Zhang et al., 2017) and a mass-balance analysis (Gordon et al., 2015) to derive total facility emission rates. The preparation of model-ready emissions files for the base-case and sensitivity run is described in an accompanying paper by Zhang et al. (2017). The large increases in VOC and OA emissions in the revised emissions data set for four large oil sands mining facilities were found to improve the modeled VOC and OA concentration maxima in plumes from these facilities, as shown with the 99th percentile statistic and illustrated by case studies. The results show that the VOC emission speciation profile from each oil sand facility is unique and different from standard petrochemical-refinery emission speciation profiles used for other regions in North America. A feedback between larger long-chain alkane emissions and higher secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations was found to be significant for some facilities and improved OA predictions for those plumes. The use of the revised emissions data resulted in a large improvement of the model OA bias; however, the decrease in OA correlation coefficient suggests the need for further improvements to model organic aerosol emissions and formation processes. Including intermediate volatile organic compound (IVOC) emissions as precursors to SOA and spatially allocating more PM1 POA emissions (primary organic aerosol of 1.0 μm or less in diameter) to mine-face locations are both recommended to improve OA bias and correlation further. A systematic bias in the background OA was also predicted on most flights, likely due to under-predictions in biogenic SOA formation. Overall, the weight of evidence suggests that the new aircraft-observation-derived organic emissions help to constrain better the fugitive organic emissions, which are a challenge to estimate in the creation of bottom up emission inventories. This work shows that the use of facility-specific emissions, based on direct observations, rather than generic emission factors and speciation profiles can result in improvements to model predictions of VOCs and OA. Emissions estimation techniques, such as those used to construct the inventories in our study, may therefore have beneficial impacts when applied to other regions with large sources of VOCs and OA.

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