Impact of sample collection on prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity of niche environments of the oil-sand mining impacted Athabasca River.

Microbial communities are an important aspect of overall riverine ecology; however, appreciation of the effects of anthropogenic activities on unique riverine microbial niches, and how the collection of these samples affects the observed diversity and community profile is lacking. We analyzed prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities from surface water, biofilms, and suspended load niches along a gradient of oil sands-related contamination in the Athabasca River (Alberta, Canada), with suspended load or particle-associated communities collected either via Kenney Sampler or centrifugation manifold. At the phylum level, different niche communities were highly similar to each other and across locations. However, there were significant differences in the abundance of specific genera among the different niches and across sampling locations. A generalized linear model revealed that use of the Kenney Sampler resulted in more diverse bacterial and eukaryotic suspended load community than centrifugal collection, though suspended load communities collected by any means remained stably diverse across locations. Although there was an influence of water quality parameters on community composition, all sampled sites support diverse bacterial and eukaryotic communities regardless of the degree of contamination, highlighting the need to look beyond ecological diversity as a means of assessing ecological perturbations, and consider collecting samples from multiple niche environments.

Profiling oil sands mixtures from industrial developments and natural groundwaters for source identification.

The objective of this study was to identify chemical components that could distinguish chemical mixtures in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) that had potentially migrated to groundwater in the oil sands development area of northern Alberta, Canada. In the first part of the study, OSPW samples from two different tailings ponds and a broad range of natural groundwater samples were assessed with historically employed techniques as Level-1 analyses, including geochemistry, total concentrations of naphthenic acids (NAs) and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS). While these analyses did not allow for reliable source differentiation, they did identify samples containing significant concentrations of oil sands acid-extractable organics (AEOs). In applying Level-2 profiling analyses using electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS) and comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF/MS) to samples containing appreciable AEO concentrations, differentiation of natural from OSPW sources was apparent through measurements of O2:O4 ion class ratios (ESI-HRMS) and diagnostic ions for two families of suspected monoaromatic acids (GC × GC-TOF/MS). The resemblance between the AEO profiles from OSPW and from 6 groundwater samples adjacent to two tailings ponds implies a common source, supporting the use of these complimentary analyses for source identification. These samples included two of upward flowing groundwater collected <1 m beneath the Athabasca River, suggesting OSPW-affected groundwater is reaching the river system.

Coupling geostatistical approaches with PCA and fuzzy optimal model (FOM) for the integrated assessment of sampling locations of water quality monitoring networks (WQMNs).

The assessment of the adequacy of sampling locations is an important aspect in the validation of an effective and efficient water quality monitoring network. Two geostatistical approaches (e.g., kriging and Moran's I) are presented to assess multiple sampling locations. A flexible and comprehensive framework was developed for the selection of multiple sampling locations of multiple variables which was accomplished by coupling geostatistical approaches with principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy optimal model (FOM). The FOM was used in the integrated assessment of both multiple principal components and multiple geostatistical approaches. These integrated methods were successfully applied to the assessment of two independent water quality monitoring networks (WQMNs) of Lake Winnipeg, Canada, which respectively included 14 and 30 stations from 2006 to 2010.

Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative: context and prevailing legacy.

The Northern River Ecosystem Initiative (NREI), 1997-2004, has provided new scientific knowledge in response to specific recommendations from its predecessor, the Northern River Basins Study (NRBS), 1990-1996. The two initiatives together provide a remarkable body of science which is, and will continue to be, used by resource managers responsible for economic and environmental sustainability in the northern watersheds of Alberta. The NREI focused its investigative efforts on improving our understanding related to ecological considerations of changes in river flow, effect of climate change on flow, ecological responses to pollution and cumulative effects, vulnerability of drinking water quality, and to a lesser degree, wildlife (birds) response to large scale changes within the watersheds. Key findings are briefly presented in this paper and discussed in greater detail in the other NREI papers included in this. Commensurate with the undertakings of NREI, provincial and territorial governments, First Nation and Métis communities, and other administrative organizations such as the Mackenzie River Basin Board, undertook policy, regulatory, and watershed initiatives towards achieving sustainability and providing reliable drinking water quality.

Spatial patterns of natural polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment in the lower Athabasca River.

The Athabasca Oil Sands is one of the four natural oil sands deposits in Northern Alberta, Canada, and are by far the largest oil sand deposit in North America, covering an area of 46,000 km2. Sediment samples were collected from the bed and bank of several tributaries that have naturally occurring exposures of oil sand material. Oil sand deposited along the lower Athabasca River, more than 100 km downstream of naturally occurring oil sand exposures, were also sampled. The levels of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in samples collected from these various locations ranged from not detected to almost 50 ppm. Using dibenzothiophene/chrysene (C2/D2 vs. C3/D3) double ratio plots, it is possible to approximate the relative degree of degradation or weathering of the PAHs from these various sediment deposits along the lower Athabasca River and its tributaries. Similarly a plot of dibenzothiophene/phenanthrene (D2/P2 vs. D3/P3) indicate the possible origins of the oil. A combination of these plots, D3/P3 vs. D3/C3, was particularly useful in identifying weathering characteristics of different sources of the oil. Comparison of alkylated PAH distributions between the lower Athabasca River and the tributaries show slight differences consistent with different petrogenic sources and/or different weathering patterns.