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    Diamonds in the rough: Identification of individual naphthenic acids in oil sands process water

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Rowland, S.
    Scarlett, Alan
    Jones, D.
    West, C.
    Frank, R.
    Date
    2011
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    Rowland, S. and Scarlett, A. and Jones, D. and West, C. and Frank, R. 2011. Diamonds in the rough: Identification of individual naphthenic acids in oil sands process water. Environmental Science and Technology. 45 (7): pp. 3154-3159.
    Source Title
    Environmental Science and Technology
    DOI
    10.1021/es103721b
    ISSN
    0013-936X
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43235
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Expansion of the oil sands industry of Canada has seen a concomitant increase in the amount of process water produced and stored in large lagoons known as tailings ponds. Concerns have been raised, particularly about the toxic complex mixtures of water-soluble naphthenic acids (NA) in the process water. To date, no individual NA have been identified, despite numerous attempts, and while the toxicity of broad classes of acids is of interest, toxicity is often structure-specific, so identification of individual acids may also be very important. Here we describe the chromatographic resolution and mass spectral identification of some individual NA from oil sands process water. We conclude that the presence of tricyclic diamondoid acids, never before even considered as NA, suggests an unprecedented degree of biodegradation of some of the oil in the oil sands. The identifications reported should now be followed by quantitative studies, and these used to direct toxicity assays of relevant NA and the method used to identify further NA to establish which, or whether all NA, are toxic. The two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method described may also be important for helping to better focus reclamation/remediation strategies for NA as well as in facilitating the identification of the sources of NA in contaminated surface waters. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

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