Environmental Stewardship Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Environmental Stewardship Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2022 Mar;18(2):361-387. doi: 10.1002/ieam.4524. Epub 2021 Oct 25.
We synthesize the information available from the peer-reviewed literature on the ecological status of lakes and rivers in the oil sands region (OSR) of Canada. The majority of the research from the OSR has been performed in or near the minable region and examines the concentrations, flux, or enrichment of contaminants of concern (CoCs). Proximity to oil sands facilities and the beginning of commercial activities tend to be associated with greater estimates of CoCs across studies. Research suggests the higher measurements of CoCs are typically associated with wind-blown dust, but other sources also contribute. Exploratory analyses further suggest relationships with facility production and fuel use data. Exceedances of environmental quality guidelines for CoCs are also reported in lake sediments, but there are no indications of toxicity including those within the areas of the greatest atmospheric deposition. Instead, primary production has increased in most lakes over time. Spatial differences are observed in streams, but causal relationships with industrial activity are often confounded by substantial natural influences. Despite this, there may be signals associated with site preparation for new mines, potential persistent differences, and a potential effect of petroleum coke used as fuel on some indices of health in fish captured in the Steepbank River. There is also evidence of improvements in the ecological condition of some rivers. Despite the volume of material available, much of the work remains temporally, spatially, or technically isolated. Overcoming the isolation of studies would enhance the utility of information available for the region, but additional recommendations for improving monitoring can be made, such as a shift to site-specific analyses in streams and further use of industry-reported data. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:361-387. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
我们综合了加拿大油砂区（OSR）湖泊和河流生态状况的同行评议文献中的信息。OSR 的大部分研究都是在可开采区域内或附近进行的，研究了关注污染物（CoCs）的浓度、通量或富集。接近油砂设施和商业活动的开始往往与研究中对 CoCs 的更大估计有关。研究表明，较高的 CoC 测量值通常与风吹尘有关，但其他来源也有贡献。探索性分析还进一步表明与设施生产和燃料使用数据之间存在关系。在湖泊沉积物中也报告了 CoC 的环境质量指南超标，但没有毒性迹象，包括在大气沉积最大的区域内。相反，随着时间的推移，大多数湖泊中的初级生产力都有所增加。在溪流中观察到空间差异，但与工业活动的因果关系往往因大量自然影响而复杂化。尽管如此，可能与新矿山的场地准备、潜在的持久性差异以及用作燃料的石油焦对 Steepbank 河捕获的鱼类某些健康指标的潜在影响有关。一些河流的生态状况也有改善的证据。尽管有大量的可用资料，但大部分工作在时间、空间或技术上仍然是孤立的。克服研究的孤立性将提高该地区可用信息的效用，但可以提出改进监测的额外建议，例如在溪流中转向特定地点的分析，并进一步使用行业报告的数据。环境评估与管理 2022;18:361-387。©2021 作者。环境毒性化学学会（SETAC）旗下 Wiley 期刊出版公司出版的综合环境评估与管理。
