@article {52208,
	title = {Elemental and spectroscopic characterization of fractions of an acidic extract of oil sands process water},
	volume = {93},
	year = {2013},
	month = {11/2013},
	pages = {9 pages },
	publisher = {Chemosphere },
	abstract = {{\textquoteleft}Naphthenic acids{\textquoteright} (NAs) in petroleum produced water and oil sands process water (OSPW), have been implicated in toxicological effects. However, many are not well characterized. A method for fractionation of NAs of an OSPW was used herein and a multi-method characterization of the fractions conducted.

The unfractionated OSPW acidic extract was characterized by elemental analysis, electrospray ionization-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and an esterified extract by Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet{\textendash}visible (UV) absorption spectroscopy and by comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography{\textendash}MS (GCxGC{\textendash}MS). Methyl esters were fractionated by argentation solid phase extraction (Ag+ SPE) and fractions eluting with: hexane; diethyl ether: hexane and diethyl ether, examined. Each was weighed, examined by elemental analysis, FTIR, UV, GC{\textendash}MS and GCxGC{\textendash}MS (both nominal and high resolution MS). The ether fraction, containing sulfur, was also examined by GCxGC{\textendash}sulfur chemiluminescence detection (GCxGC{\textendash}SCD).

The major ions detected by ESI-MS in the OSPW extract were assigned to alicyclic and aromatic {\textquoteleft}O2{\textquoteright} acids; sulfur was also present. Components recovered by Ag+ SPE were also methyl esters of alicyclic and aromatic acids; these contained little sulfur or nitrogen. FTIR spectra showed that hydroxy acids and sulfoxides were absent or minor. UV spectra, along with the C/H ratio, further confirmed the aromaticity of the hexane:ether eluate.

The more minor ether eluate contained further aromatics and 1.5\% sulfur. FTIR spectra indicated free carboxylic acids, in addition to esters. Four major sulfur compounds were detected by GCxGC{\textendash}SCD. GCxGC{\textendash}high resolution MS indicated these were methyl esters of C18 S-containing, diaromatics with ⩾C3 carboxylic acid side chains.},
	keywords = {analytical methodology, federal government, naphthenic acids},
	url = {https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alan_Scarlett/publication/249647360},
	author = {Jones, Dave and Scarlett, Alan G. and West, Charles E. and Frank, Richard A. and Gieleciak, Rafal and Hager, Darcy and Pureveen, Jos and Tegelaar, E. and Rowland, Steven J.}
}
