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Temporal variation in the deposition of polycyclic aromatic compounds in snow in the Athabasca Oil Sands area of Alberta

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Abstract

Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) via and onto snow, and their releasing during spring snowmelt has been a concern in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta. This study was designed to evaluate the concentrations, loadings, and distribution of PACs in springtime snowpack and how they have changed since the first study in 2008. Snowpack samples were collected in late winters 2011–2014 at varying distances from the main developments. PAC concentration and deposition declined exponentially with distance, with pyrenes, chrysenes, and dibenzothiophenes dominating the distribution within the first 50 km. The distribution of PACs was different between sites located close to upgraders and others located close to mining facilities. Overall, PAC loadings were correlated with priority pollutant elements and water chemistry parameters, while wind direction and speed were not strong contributors to the variability observed. Total PAC mass deposition during winter months and within the first 50 km was initially estimated by integrating the exponential decay function fitted through the data using a limited number of sites from 2011 to 2014: 1236 kg (2011), 1800 kg (2012), 814 kg (2013), and 1367 (2014). Total loadings were estimated to have a twofold increase between 2008 and 2014, although the increase observed was not constant. Finally, kriging interpolation is presented as an alternative and more robust approach to estimate PAC mass deposition in the area. After a more intensive sampling campaign in 2014, the PAC mass deposition was estimated to be 1968 kg.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Environment Canada and the Joint Oils Sands Monitoring Program for funding provided, and we acknowledge Research and Support Services, staff at the Environment and Climate Change Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington, ON, for sample collection and at the Air Quality Research Division in Ottawa, ON, for laboratory analysis. Zoie Richards at Strategic Natural Resource Consultants Inc. made figures and provided GIS support. Thanks to Kaitlin Kennedy for sample extractions and laboratory procedures. Special thanks to Bruce Maclean and the Mikisew Cree First Nation of Fort Chipewyan for conducting the sample collection at the Peace-Athabasca Delta.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada

    Carlos A. Manzano, Derek Muir, Jane Kirk, Camilla Teixeira & Xiaowa Wang

  2. Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada

    May Siu & Jean-Pierre Charland

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    David Schindler

  4. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, 600-5102 50th Avenue, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 2L9, Canada

    Erin Kelly

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  1. Carlos A. Manzano
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  2. Derek Muir
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  3. Jane Kirk
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  9. Erin Kelly
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Correspondence to Carlos A. Manzano.

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Manzano, C.A., Muir, D., Kirk, J. et al. Temporal variation in the deposition of polycyclic aromatic compounds in snow in the Athabasca Oil Sands area of Alberta. Environ Monit Assess 188, 542 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5500-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5500-3

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