| Title | Assessment of oil sands process water toxicity in wetlands of northern Alberta using Chironomid mentum deformities |
| Publication Type | Conference Proceedings |
| Year of Publication | 1999 |
| Authors | Whelly, M. P., & Ciborowski J. J. H. |
| Editors | Van Collie, R. R., Chasse H. L., Julien C., Martel L., Thelien C., & Nimi A. J. |
| Date Published | 10/1998 |
| Place Published | Quebec City, QC |
| Publication Language | eng |
| Keywords | field, invertebrates, tailings water, toxicity, wetlands |
| Abstract | The effects of oil sands process water (OSPW) on aquatic invertebrates in wetlands near Fort McMurray, Alberta, are assessed. Principal components analysis and cluster analysis of environmental characteristics of 15 wetlands were used to identify three pairs of environmentally similar wetlands that differed mainly in exposure to or absence of OSPW. Large larvae of Chironomidae were collected and examined for mentum deformities (missing or extra teeth) for use as a biomarker. Invertebrate taxa richness and abundance was only moderately lower at OSPW -affected sites than at corresponding reference sites. The incidence of teeth deformities in midges (Chironomidae spp.) from OSPW-affected and corresponding reference wetlands was found to be moderate, and homogeneous among sites and between paired reference and OSPW-affected wetlands. This finding led to the conclusion that the suspected trace metals and PAHs may not be bioavailable in these highly humic wetlands |
| Notes | IN: Proceedings of the 25th Annual Aquatic Toxicity Workshop October 18-21, 1998 Quebec City, Quebec. Van Collie R. R. Chasse L. Hare C. Julien L. Martel C. Thelien and A.J. Nimi (Eds.). Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 2260 |
| Locational Keywords | Alberta oil sands, Fort McMurray |
| Group | OSEMB |
| Citation Key | 51607 |
