title: A multi-isotope approach for estimating industrial contributions to atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Athabasca oil sands region in Alberta, Canada.
abstract: Industrial nitrogen (N) emissions in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR), Alberta, Canada, affect nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4) deposition rates in close vicinity of industrial emitters. NO3-N and NH4-N open field and throughfall deposition rates were determined at various sites between 3 km and 113 km distance to the main oil sand operations between May 2008 and May 2009. NO3 and NH4 were analyzed for δ(15)N-NO3, δ(18)O-NO3, Δ(17)O-NO3 and δ(15)N-NH4. Marked differences in the δ(18)O and Δ(17)O values between industrial emissions and background deposition allowed for the estimation of minimum industrial contributions to atmospheric NO3 deposition. δ(15)N-NH4 values also allowed for estimates of industrial contributions to atmospheric NH4 deposition. Results revealed that particularly sites within ~30 km radius from the main oil sands developments are significantly affected by industrial contributions to atmospheric NO3 and NH4 deposition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: bcpromse@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Bernadette C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Proemse
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fenn
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000416:Alberta; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Alberta; Athabasca; Atmospheric nitrate; Deposition; Nitrogen isotopes; Oil sands; Oxygen isotopes; Oxygen-17; Throughfall