title: Atmospheric deposition of mercury and methylmercury to landscapes and waterbodies of the Athabasca oil sands region.
abstract: Atmospheric deposition of metals originating from a variety of sources, including bitumen upgrading facilities and blowing dusts from landscape disturbances, is of concern in the Athabasca oil sands region of northern Alberta, Canada. Mercury (Hg) is of particular interest as methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxin which bioaccumulates through foodwebs, can reach levels in fish and wildlife that may pose health risks to human consumers. We used spring-time sampling of the accumulated snowpack at sites located varying distances from the major developments to estimate winter 2012 Hg loadings to a ∼20 000 km(2) area of the Athabasca oil sands region. Total Hg (THg; all forms of Hg in a sample) loads were predominantly particulate-bound (79 ± 12%) and increased with proximity to major developments, reaching up to 1000 ng m(-2). MeHg loads increased in a similar fashion, reaching up to 19 ng m(-2) and suggesting that oil sands developments are a direct source of MeHg to local landscapes and water bodies. Deposition maps, created by interpolation of measured Hg loads using geostatistical software, demonstrated that deposition resembled a bullseye pattern on the landscape, with areas of maximum THg and MeHg loadings located primarily between the Muskeg and Steepbank rivers. Snowpack concentrations of THg and MeHg were significantly correlated (r = 0.45-0.88, p < 0.01) with numerous parameters, including total suspended solids (TSS), metals known to be emitted in high quantities from the upgraders (vanadium, nickel, and zinc), and crustal elements (aluminum, iron, and lanthanum), which were also elevated in this region. Our results suggest that at snowmelt, a complex mixture of chemicals enters aquatic ecosystems that could impact biological communities of the oil sands region.
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada , Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: Derek C G
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.forename: Xiaowa
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lehnherr
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wrona
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D012621:Seasons; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D012914:Snow; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D008628:Mercury