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Spectrometric analysis of the metabolism and adsorption of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in a phytoremediation treatment system
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2024-08-14
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Abstract
Bitumen mining in northern Alberta produces large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) that requires treatment before being released into the environment. Naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) are considered primary contributors to OSPW toxicity; therefore, remediation efforts often target these compounds. Phytoremediation is proposed as a feasible treatment for OSPW using a constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) strategy due to the cost-effective and low-maintenance nature of this technology. A CWTS uses plants and their associated microorganisms to take advantage of natural metabolic processes for the uptake biotransformation of environmental contaminants. While CWTSs for OSPW treatment have demonstrated success in attenuating NAFCs and reducing toxicity in mesocosm and pilot scale studies, the fate of NAFCs in a CWTS is not well understood This thesis research aimed to gain insight into NAFC fate in CWTSs by exploring NAFC biotransformation processes in plant tissues, and adsorption characteristics of NAFCs with soil substrates. A method for extracting NAFCs and their metabolites from plant tissues was developed and used to extract ¹³C-AdCA and NAFCs from OSPW to track the uptake, translocation, and biotransformation within plant roots and shoots. This extraction protocol was used in combination with high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry to identify the model NA and its metabolites in plant tissues. These experiments showed that these compounds generally decreased in abundance over time, indicative of transformation events. OSPW treatments demonstrated that a majority of NAFCs were completely transformed in root and shoot tissues. Additionally, incubation studies were conducted to test various NAFC parameters associated with adsorption to various sediments. The adsorption of NAFCs from OSPW onto a sediment substrate from the oil sands region appeared to be impacted by the properties of the OSPW itself, including concentration and class differences or shifts in carbon number and double bond equivalents. Other factors such as water quality characteristics may also impact adsorption. Overall, the results of this research provide insight into the fate of NAFCs in phytoremediation systems, guiding future metabolomics studies and considerations for large-scale implementation of plant-based technologies in OSPW treatment strategies.
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Charriere, C. (2024). Spectrometric analysis of the metabolism and adsorption of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in a phytoremediation treatment system (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.