The base mine lake toxicity identification and evaluation study

坑底湖（EPLs）是目前大规模和长期修复有毒油砂工艺影响水（OSPW）的主要策略。然而，正如加拿大皇家学会最近总结的那样，关于环境保护许可证可能促进这一重要功能的速度和程度，还有很大的未知数。不确定性的一个主要来源是，对OSPW产生毒性的化学品仍然不为人所知，而且从未对OSPW中的大多数化学品的水生持久性进行过研究。在这方面，已经设计了一个综合研究计划，将使用最先进的分析技术、毒性生物测定、分子生物学、微生物生物降解和尾矿池监测，以确定OSPW中毒性最大和持久性最强的化学品。这项研究的具体重点是OSPW从一个活跃的沉降盆地在加拿大合成原油有限公司-“西坑”-这将作为水源基地矿山湖，加拿大的第一个油砂EPL。Syncrude的基地矿湖项目将于2012/2013年投产，因此拟议的工作与湖的启动阶段相吻合。本研究的数据将直接由Syncrude应用于监测和预测Base Mine Lake的解毒轨迹，从而为水管理方案和排放水质标准的监管决策提供信息。大约有30个其他油砂EPL计划，因此这项研究可能是广泛适用的，或可作为其他EPL项目的模型。

End-pit-lakes (EPLs) are currently the main strategy for large-scale and long-term remediation of toxic oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). However, as recently summarized by the Royal Society of Canada, there are great unknowns with respect to the rate and extent by which EPLs might facilitate this important function. A major source of uncertainty is that the chemicals which impart toxicity to OSPW remain unknown, and the aquatic persistence of most chemicals in OSPW has never been studied. Here, an integrated research plan has been designed that will use state-of-the-art analytical technologies, toxicity bioassays, molecular biology, microbial biodegradation, and monitoring of tailings ponds to identify the most toxic and persistent chemicals in OSPW. The specific focus of this study is OSPW from an active settling basin at Syncrude Canada Ltd - "the West-In-Pit" - which will serve as the source of water for Base-Mine Lake, Canada's first oil sands EPL. Syncrude's Base Mine Lake project will be commissioned in 2012/2013, thus the proposed work is conveniently coincident with the lake's start-up phase. The data from this study will be directly applied by Syncrude to monitoring and predicting the detoxification trajectory of Base Mine Lake, and will thereby inform water management options and regulatory decision making on water quality criteria for discharge. Approximately 30 other oil sands EPLs are planned, thus this research may be widely applicable or may serve as a model for other EPL projects.