title: Solute pools in Nikanotee Fen watershed in the Athabasca oil sands region.
abstract: Overburden and tailings materials from oil sands production were used as construction materials as part of a novel attempt to create a self-sustaining, peat accumulating fen-upland ecosystem. To evaluate the potential for elemental release from the construction materials, total elemental concentrations in the tailings sand, petroleum coke and peat used to construct a fen ecosystem were determined using microwave-assisted acid digestions and compared to a leaching experiment conducted under environmentally-relevant conditions. A comparison of solid phase to aqueous Na, Ca, S and Mg concentrations showed they were highly leachable in the materials. Given that the concentrations of these elements can affect plant community structure, it is important to understand their leachability and mobility as they migrate between materials used to construct the system. To that end, a mass balance of aqueous Na, Ca, S and Mg was conducted based on leaching experiments and materials analysis coupled with existing data from the constructed system. The data indicate that there is a large pool of leachable Na, Ca, S and Mg in the system, estimated at 27 t of Na, 14 t of Ca, 37.3 t of S and 8.8 t of Mg. Since recharge mainly drives the fen-upland system water regime, and discharge in the fen, evapo-accumulation of these solutes on the surface may occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: rbsimhay@uwaterloo.ca.
authors.forename: Reuven B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Simhayov
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Ecohydrology Research Group, Water Institute and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Smeaton
authors.affiliation: Ecohydrology Research Group, Water Institute and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.affiliation: Ecohydrology Research Group, Water Institute and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
authors.forename: Fereidoun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rezanezhad
authors.affiliation: Ecohydrology Research Group, Water Institute and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Cappellen
mesh_terms: D003077:Coke; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003077:Coke; D010578:Petroleum; D012987:Soil; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Constructed fen; Oil sands; Peat; Reclamation; Solute; Tailings sand