Notes 20101103 Adam SETAC NA Talk

From SnOwy - Ed's Wiki Notebook

Adam's Talk

• growth, toxic response; indigenous phytoplankton species; naphthenic acids
• remediation of oil sand run off
• phytoplankton strains selected for this remediation
• Athabasca oil sand -- recall Bitumen, the thin layer of oil encasing each sand particle
• method used: Clark hot water extraction
  • 80°C water + NaOH
  • produces frothy bitumen
• 3m³ of water for every 1m³ of oil
• water is recycled into extraction -- recycled until it can no longer be used
  • built up toxic chemicals
• toxins -- naphthenic acids with (C_nH_2n+zO₂) -- primary toxic compound
• what do we do with this toxic tailings water?
• algal remediation -- several benefits
  • cost effective
  • carbon capture
  • algal biomass
  • algal oil?
• collection and isolation of native phytoplankton strains?
  • important to use native species (no introduction of foreign species)

algal remediation study

1. NA growth study
   • resistant strain / optimization of growth rate
2. NA uptake study
   • post process toxicity

• suitable candidates ...
  • high growth rates
  • tolerate high [NA]s
  • uptake NAs, and reduce toxicity

Finding tolerant species

• algae collected from number of test ponds
• sampling performed -- understand species composition at various sites