Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Isotopic characterization of nitrate, ammonium and sulfate in stack PM2.5 emissions in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Alberta, Canada

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Proemse, Bernadette
    Mayer, B.
    Chow, J.
    Watson, J.
    Date
    2012
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Proemse, B. and Mayer, B. and Chow, J. and Watson, J. 2012. Isotopic characterization of nitrate, ammonium and sulfate in stack PM2.5 emissions in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Alberta, Canada. Atmospheric Environment. 60: pp. 555-563.
    Source Title
    Atmospheric Environment
    Additional URLs
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231012006097
    ISSN
    1352-2310
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/32751
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Stable isotope techniques may be a suitable tool for tracing industrial emissions in the atmosphere and the environment provided that the isotopic compositions of industrial emissions are distinct. We determined the isotopic compositions of nitrate, ammonium and sulfate in PM2.5 emitted from two industrial stacks at a large upgrader site in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR), northeastern Alberta, Canada, and compared them to the nitrogen and sulfur isotopic compositions of source materials and upgrading by-products. We found distinct isotopic compositions of nitrate and ammonium in PM2.5 compared to those reported for atmospheric nitrate and ammonium in the literature. Nitrate in PM2.5 had d15N values of 9.4& (Stack A) and 16.1 1.2& (Stack B) that were significantly enriched in 15N compared to the feedstock materials (w2.5&), by-products of upgrading (0.3e1.3&), and atmospheric N2 (0&). d15N of ammonium in PM2.5 showed a large range with values between 4.5 to þ20.1& (StackB). We report the first measurements of the triple oxygen isotopic composition of industrial emitted nitrate. Nitrate emitted as PM2.5 is not mass-independently enriched in 17O resulting inD17O ¼ 0.5 0.9& (Stack B) and is therefore distinct from atmospheric nitrate, constituting an excellent indicator of industrial derived nitrate. d18O values of nitrate in PM2.5 (36.0 and 17.6 1.8& for Stack A and B, respectively) were also significantly lower than d18O values of atmospheric nitrates and hence isotopically distinct. d34S values of sulfate in PM2.5 were with 7.3 0.3& (Stack A) and 9.4 2.0& (Stack B) slightly enriched in 34S compared to d34S in bitumen (4.3 0.3&) and coke (3.9 0.2&). d18O values of sulfate in PM2.5 were 18.9 2.9& and 14.2 2.8& for Stack A and Stack B, respectively. The isotopic composition of sulfate in PM2.5 was not sufficiently different from d34S and d18O values of sulfate in longrange atmospheric deposition in industrial countries to serve as a quantitative indicator for industrial emitted PM2.5.We conclude that d18O and D17O values of nitrate in stack-emitted PM2.5 are excellent, and d15N values of nitrate and ammonium are suitable indicators for identifying and tracing of PM2.5 nitrate and ammonium emitted from two stacks in the AOSR in the surrounding terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • δ13C and δD measurements of volatile organic compounds in a variety of emissions by thermal desorption compound specific isotope analysis
      Vitzthum von Eckstaedt, Christiane D. (2011)
      Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be related to different compound classes but they all have a distinct vapour pressure allowing them to enter the atmosphere under ambient conditions. VOCs can undergo various reactions ...
    • Tracing Industrial Nitrogen and Sulfur Emissions in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region using Stable Isotopes
      Proemse, Bernadette; Mayer, B. (2012)
      The rapid development in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) in northeastern Alberta, Canada, has raised concerns about the impact of the industrial emissions on the surrounding terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Stable ...
    • Tracing industrial sulfur contributions to atmospheric sulfate deposition in the Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta, Canada
      Proemse, Bernadette; Mayer, B.; Fenn, M. (2012)
      Anthropogenic S emissions in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) in Alberta, Canada, affect SO4 deposition in close vicinity of industrial emitters. Between May 2008 and May 2009, SO4-S deposition was monitored using ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.