Fate of polycyclic aromatic compounds from diluted bitumen spilled into freshwater limnocorrals

Diluted bitumens (dilbits) are produced by mixing highly viscous bitumen with lighter petroleum products to facilitate transport. The unique physical and chemical properties of dilbit may affect the environmental fate and effects of dilbitderived chemical compounds when spilled. To further explore this, we monitored experimental spills of Cold Lake Winter Blend (CLWB) dilbit for 70 days in limnocorrals installed in a freshwater boreal lake. A regression design with 2 controls and 7 treatments was used to assess the fate and behaviour of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) as they partitioned from the dilbit into the air, water column and sediments. Treatments ranged from 1.5 to 180 L of CLWB, resulting in oil:water ratios ranging between 1:71000 to 1:500 (v:v). We began to detect elevated concentrations of PACs as early as 6 h post-addition in the air, 12 h post-addition in the water column, and 15-28 d post-addition in the sediments. By the end of the experiment, concentrations of PACs had largely declined in the water column but remained elevated in the sediments. Our results demonstrate that under conditions typical of temperate boreal lakes, only a small proportion of PACs from dilbit enters the aquatic system, but even so, may produce concentrations of ecotoxicological concern, especially in the sediments, which is the ultimate sink for dilbit-derived PACs.

Automated summary

The physical and chemical properties of dilute bitumens can affect the environmental fate and effects of the compounds. The study found that only a small proportion of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) from dilbit enters the aquatic system, but high concentrations can be found in sediments.