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In Situ Monitoring of Labile Vanadium in the Mackenzie River Basin (Canada) Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films

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Abstract

Vanadium has the potential to be released as a by-product of the combustion of fossil fuels such as oil and coal in the aquatic system. Presence of tailing ponds and other mining operations may pose the largest threat to downstream users and to the long-term aquatic health of the Mackenzie River Basin (MRB, Canada). The need for developing a solid baseline for the MRB aquatic ecosystem against which future changes can be measured is urgent. In this study, 36 sets of triplicate diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) samplers were deployed in MRB during the 2012–2014 ice-free seasons to investigate temporal and spatial changes in the concentration of DGT-labile vanadium (V) as part of a Northwest Territories community-based project. Average DGT-labile V concentration (5.9 ± 0.9 nmol L−1) was comparable with non-contaminated aquatic systems, suggesting no significant impact of human activities on V speciation in MRB in 2012–2014. The V concentrations reported in this study constitutes a baseline that can be used to enhance ongoing monitoring efforts. Although the DGT samplers were deployed in collaboration with northern communities, the absence of temporal changes in DGT-labile V indicated that in situ DGT passive samplers constitute a reliable and robust alternative for community-based monitoring programs. Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) validated three humic-like (C1–C3) and one protein-like (C4) fluorescent component. However, no significant relationships were apparent between DGT-labile V and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the PARAFAC loadings, and composition (p > 0.05). Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that DGT-labile V concentration was negatively correlated with aromatic and humified DOM (r = − 0.70 to − 0.84, p < 0.05).

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Acknowledgements

The study would not have been possible without the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories Community-based Water Quality Monitoring Program staff and community water monitors. We particularly thank Yu Zhu and Antoine Perroud for the DGT preparation and analyses. We would like to thank the anonymous reviewer for the helpful comments on this manuscript.

Funding

Financial support for this study was awarded from NSERC and Canada Research Chair program and from Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program (CIMP).

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  1. Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

    Yong Xiang Shi

  2. Department of Chemistry and Trent School of the Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada

    Céline Guéguen

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  1. Yong Xiang Shi
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Shi, Y.X., Guéguen, C. In Situ Monitoring of Labile Vanadium in the Mackenzie River Basin (Canada) Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 420 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3573-4

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