Non-target profiling of bitumen-influenced waters for the identification of tracers unique to oil sands processed-affected water (OSPW) in the Athabasca watershed of Alberta, Canada.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

The objective of this study was to identify unique chemical tracers of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) to enable definitive discrimination of tailings pond seepage from natural bitumen-influenced waters from the Canadian Alberta McMurray formation.

Methods

The approach involved comparing unknowns from an unprecedented sample set of OSPW (n = 4) and OSPW-affected groundwaters (n = 15) with natural bitumen-influenced groundwaters (n = 20), using high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-HRMS) operated in both polarities.

Results

Four unknown chemical entities were identified as potential tracers of OSPW seepage and subsequently subjected to structural elucidation. One potential tracer, te

SUBMITTER: Milestone CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7757169 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature