A Study Of Water And Sediment Quality As - TO THE TAR SANDS .ca

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Other Heavy Metals Lead, chromium, copper, vanadium, and zinc, assessed by Bourbonniere et al. (1996) exhibited a nearly constant concentration with depth. Zinc and copper concentrations were relatively high over western Lake Athabasca. Those authors noted that their concentrations for copper, zinc, arsenic, and total mercury agreed well with the results of Allan and Jackson (1978) from Lake Athabasca. They concluded “that many of these metals have sources in the western part of the lake and probably move offshore according to grain size. An increasing trend from river to delta to lake for many of the same metals studied was reported by Allan and Jackson (1978).” Cadmium levels in all of the surface sediments (sites G, F, B, D, and I) exceeded the interim sediment quality guideline of 0.6 mg/kg by a factor to 3 to 4 times the guideline. Imperial Oil (2006, their Table 5-29) noted an exceedence for a maximum concentration of chromium (ISQG 37.3 mg/kg) of 61.3 mg/kg (Athabasca River, between Fort Creek and Embarras, fall 1997-2003, n=21; and two of three observations during summer 1976-95 were also in excess of guideline: 54 and 85 mg/kg). Table 10. Heavy metal concentrations in 1992 surficial sediments in western Lake Athabasca (from Bourbonniere et al. 1996, their Tables 6 and 7) compared to arsenic and mercury concentrations at three sites near Fort Chipewyan (this study). Values are in mg/kg (with exception of mercury for which values are in µg/kg). Note that the sites of Bourbonniere et al. are arranged in a westmost (site G, top of table) to eastmost (site S3) pattern. Site Arsenic Lead Cadmium Chromium Copper Vanadium Zinc Total Methyl- Mercury mercury G 8.5 8.8 1.8 26.5 23.1 36.2 98.2 86.0 86.0 F 8.5 8.2 2.1 27.8 26.6 36.5 102.0 89.0 89.0 B 3.1 7.4 2.2 28.8 24.3 32.6 98.5 83.0 73.0 D 5 8.5 2.1 27.8 25.3 36.4 106.0 85.0 78.0 I 22.9 10.9 2.5 30.6 23.2 40.4 100.0 74.0 63.0 S1CB (0-6) 5.5 9.1 ND* 31.7 25.6 46.0 110.0 126 ND (20) S2CA (0-6) 9.5 7.2 ND* 35.5 22.7 46.4 87.1 83.3 21.3 S3CB (0-6) 9.1 5.9 ND* 24.4 14.7 30.3 54.2 25 ND (20) Rochers R. at Mission Ck 9.1 60 0.281 LA Water 9.2 ND (50) 0.137 Intake Fletcher Channel * detection level of 0.3 mg/kg 1.8 ND (50) ND (0.050) 38
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) PAHs were assessed by the GC/MS method. In order to place those values in context, PAH concentrations determined by the same method by Bourbonniere et al. (1996) are provided in Table 11. Those data indicate only one exceedence (for phenanthrene, 42 µg/kg at Bourbonniere’s site D). It is difficult to compare the data from this study with those of Bourbonniere et al. due to differences in detection limits. For those types of PAHs for which a comparison can be made, it appears that the levels of phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and perhaps benzo(a)pyrene observed in this study were lower than those observed in 1992. Bourbonniere et al. (1996) detected 11 types of PAHs. Data from the lower Athabasca River (reported by Imperial Oil 2006) indicate exceedences of sediment quality guidelines for naphthalene, acenaphthene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, phenanthrene, and pyrene (Table 12). Sediment samples from the lower Athabasca River and major open-drainage lakes adjacent to Fort Chipewyan were studied for PAH concentrations by Evans et al. (2002) (Table 13). Evans et al. (2002) observed that PAH concentrations were variable in space and time. Overall, sediment quality guidelines were exceeded in 7 % of the samples. Concentrations of 2-methylnaphthalene exceeded guidelines in 35.6% of samples while those of naphthalene, benzo(a)anthracene, and chrysene exceeded guidelines in 6.8% of samples. Guidelines levels of fluoranthene and pyrene were exceeded only in “Fort Chipewyan Harbor”. Lower molecular weight PAHs tended to increase in concentration from upstream sources to downstream depositional areas. Bioassay toxicity testing was done on some sediment samples using the midge Chironomus tentans, the amphipod Hyalella azteca, and the oligochaete worm Lumbriculus variegatus. In a 1999 Athabasca River Delta sample, survivorship was low for C. tentans (42%) and H. azteca (72%). Growth of Lumbriculus was low in both 1999 (62%) and 2000 (53-58% in two samples). In the PERD lakes (exclusive of the RAMP river data), four of the PAHs exceeded guidelines: naphthalene (18.5% of samples), 2-methylnaphthalene (70.4% of samples), and fluoranthene and pyrene (both 3.7% of samples). Ratios of unsubstituted to alkylated PAHs in Athabasca River are on the order of 0.05 to 0.4, indicating that most PAHs in Athabasca River sediments are from oil sands deposits rather than from combustion sources (Shell Canada 2006). Six PAHs exceeded guidelines in some sediment samples on the Peace and Athabasca Rivers (phenanthrene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, fluoranthene, and pyrene) (Crosley 1996). The frequencies of exceedences were not reported, but inspection of the raw data indicated that exceedences were uncommon. Taken together, the data indicate that concentrations of PAHs in the lower Athabasca River and the adjacent delta and western Lake Athabasca can vary greatly in time and space and may at times exceed guidelines. 39
Page 1 and 2: A STUDY OF WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALI
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page SUMM
Page 5 and 6: (9) A peer-reviewed epidemiologic a
Page 7 and 8: concerned citizen of Fort Chipewyan
Page 9 and 10: and fecal coliform bacteria. These
Page 11 and 12: options. Geologic deposits may diff
Page 13 and 14: Coliform bacteria are useful indica
Page 15 and 16: Table 1. Water quality parameters a
Page 17 and 18: a b Canoe Pass 17 Sample Site Figur
Page 19 and 20: a b Water Treatment Plant Water Int
Page 21 and 22: RESULTS and DISCUSSION 1. Regulator
Page 23 and 24: Table 3. Canadian water and sedimen
Page 25 and 26: Table 5. A summary of some water an
Page 27 and 28: maximum 5 mg/L; median 1 mg/L AR be
Page 29 and 30: Comparison of the various datasets
Page 31 and 32: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (P
Page 33 and 34: The largest exceedences were for al
Page 35 and 36: Table 8. Concentrations of dioxins
Page 37: Arsenic, Mercury, and Other Heavy M
Page 41 and 42: Table 13. Exceedences of sediment q
Page 43 and 44: Total PAHs (mg/kg) 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3
Page 45 and 46: Table 14. Concentrations of dioxins
Page 47 and 48: Ducks in the spring, beavers, and m
Page 49 and 50: Air pollution. The other day, at Bi
Page 51 and 52: iver was opened approximately ½ mi
Page 53 and 54: From the Edmonton Journal, 23 Octob
Page 55 and 56: The Tar Island Dike is a hydraulic
Page 57 and 58: 3. Mercury in Walleye (Pickerel) an
Page 59 and 60: Mercury Concentration (mg/kg) 0.8 0
Page 61 and 62: 4. Fish Deformities Scientific Data
Page 63 and 64: Possible Causes for the Fish Abnorm
Page 65 and 66: 4. The arsenic levels assumed by th
Page 67 and 68: at the Fort Chipewyan water intake
Page 69 and 70: In water, chemical constituents of
Page 71 and 72: moot is that levels of some environ
Page 73 and 74: The people of Fort Chipewyan deserv
Page 75 and 76: ATSDR. 1995. Public Health Statemen
Page 77 and 78: Health Canada. 2006b. Guidelines fo
Page 79 and 80: Page, D. S., P. D. Boehm, G. C. Dou
Page 81 and 82: Treasury Board of Canada. 2005. Sit

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