Examination of the health of white sucker in response to oil sands reclamation-affected waters

检查白吸鱼对受油砂围垦影响水域的健康状况

• 批准号: 412888-2011
• 负责人: vandenHeuvel, Michael
• 金额: $ 2.05万
• 依托单位: University of Prince Edward Island
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=498372
• 关键词: Examination; health; white; sucker; response

The Athabasca oil sands deposit in Northern Alberta represents one of the largest sources of crude oil in the world and currently supplies one quarter of Canada's petroleum needs. The operation of surface mining and extraction of the oil from the sands produces large volumes of tailings and process-affected water which, under a zero-discharge policy, must be safely incorporated into a reclaimed landscape. Oil sands companies are interested in developing monitoring tools for aquatic reclamation to ensure the provision of habitat capable of supporting fish and wildlife. The white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) is likely to be among the first native fish species introduced to aquatic systems. Studies conducted over nearly three decades in experimental ponds consisting of water-capped oil sands tailings, or in natural systems where water has been influenced by either oil-sands tailings or unextracted hydrocarbons, have shown the potential for affected waters to increase susceptibility of fishes to disease, decrease reproductive growth, and cause mortality of eggs and early life stages. The central objective of this research is to examine the sensitivity of a keystone native fish species, the white sucker to oil sands process-affected waters and to examine mechanistic hypotheses associated with observed effects. This research will further seek to determine the toxicological mechanisms of any observed effects and identity causative chemical classes. With the first full-scale end-pit lake expected to be complete by 2012, this research will directly inform management decisions regarding introduction and monitoring of aquatic ecosystems created in reclaimed landscapes and will directly contribute to planning the most environmentally beneficial route for the development of a healthy lake ecosystems.

位于阿尔伯塔北方的阿萨巴斯卡油砂存款是世界上最大的原油来源之一，目前供应加拿大四分之一的石油需求。露天采矿和从沙子中提取石油的作业产生大量尾矿和受工艺影响的水，根据零排放政策，必须将其安全地纳入回收景观。油砂公司有兴趣开发水生开垦的监测工具，以确保提供能够支持鱼类和野生动物的栖息地。白色吸盘鱼（Catostomus longsoni）可能是第一批引入水生系统的本地鱼类之一。近30年来，在由水覆盖的油砂尾矿组成的实验池塘中，或在水受到油砂尾矿或未提取的碳氢化合物影响的自然系统中进行的研究表明，受影响的沃茨可能会增加鱼类对疾病的易感性，降低生殖生长，并导致卵和早期生命阶段的死亡。本研究的主要目的是研究一个关键的本地鱼类，白色吸盘油砂工艺影响的沃茨的敏感性，并研究与观察到的影响机制假说。本研究将进一步寻求确定任何观察到的影响的毒理学机制，并确定致病化学品类别。随着第一个全面的底坑湖预计将于2012年完成，这项研究将直接为管理决策提供信息，介绍和监测在填海景观中创建的水生生态系统，并将直接有助于规划最有利于环境的路线，以发展健康的湖泊生态系统。