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

    Compositional heterogeneity may limit the usefulness of some commercial naphthenic acids for toxicity assays

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    West, C.
    Jones, D.
    Scarlett, Alan
    Rowland, S.
    Date
    2011
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    West, C. and Jones, D. and Scarlett, A. and Rowland, S. 2011. Compositional heterogeneity may limit the usefulness of some commercial naphthenic acids for toxicity assays. Science of the Total Environment. 409 (19): pp. 4125-4131.
    Source Title
    Science of the Total Environment
    DOI
    10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.05.061
    ISSN
    0048-9697
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36363
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Naphthenic acids are considered variously as monocarboxylic acids fitting the formula C nH 2n+zO 2 (where z is a zero or negative even integer), as only alicyclic (i.e. non-aromatic) monocarboxylic acids fitting this formula (z=0), or simply as those carboxylic acids occurring in petroleum products or crude oils that have been formed through biodegradation of hydrocarbons. Such acids are known constituents of the process-affected water associated with some expanding oil sands industries, of some immature and biodegraded crude oils, of produced water discharges from oil production platforms and are used as biocides and as components in the manufacture of steel radial tyres.As a result of these potential vectors of the acids into the environment, various naphthenic acid mixtures which are available commercially have been used for a range of toxicity studies. However, as some manufacturers make clear, but which is not often emphasised in the toxicity studies, a range of different quality naphthenic acids is produced commercially. It has been suggested previously, and we showed recently and elucidate further herein, that such commercial mixtures therefore sometimes contain toxic components other than carboxylic acids. For example, we identify herein by two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, a range of C 0-6 alkylphenols in a batch of commercial naphthenic acids. Since these compounds are known toxicants, the contribution of such non-carboxylic acids, if any, to the toxicity attributed previously to the acids, should also be considered. This will be reflected in the concentrations and effective toxicities of such components. In order to establish the toxicity of the acids per se, assays of pure synthetic carboxylic acids of the type now known to be present in naphthenic acids from petroleum or oil sands may be more appropriate than tests of the toxicity of largely unknown, heterogeneous, mixtures. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

    Related items

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

    • Identification of individual acids in a commercial sample of naphthenic acids from petroleum by two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
      Rowland, S.; West, C.; Scarlett, Alan; Jones, D. (2011)
      The identification of most individual members of the complex mixtures of carboxylic acids found in petroleum ('naphthenic acids') has eluded chemists for over a century; they remain unresolved by conventional gas ...
    • Monocyclic and monoaromatic naphthenic acids: Synthesis and characterisation
      Rowland, S.; West, C.; Scarlett, Alan; Jones, D.; Boberek, M.; Pan, L.; Ng, M.; Kwong, L.; Tonkin, A. (2011)
      Characterisation of the complex mixtures of carboxylic acids (naphthenic acids) occurring in crude oils and in degraded oil sands is environmentally important. Indeed some acids in waters from oil platforms are apparently ...
    • Toxicity of individual naphthenic acids to Vibrio fischeri
      Jones, D.; Scarlett, Alan; West, C.; Rowland, S. (2011)
      Numerous studies have suggested that the toxicity of organic compounds containing at least one carboxylic acid group and broadly classified as "naphthenic acids", is of environmental concern. For example, the acute toxicity ...
    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.