Development of microbial fuel cell biosensor for detection of naphthenic acids

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Naphthenic acids (NAs) represent the primary source of acute toxicity and endocrine disrupting potential refinery wastewater and oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). There is a growing concern over NAs seepage into surrounding surface and groundwater, and subsequent adverse impact on aquatic ecosystem and environment. Thus, routine monitoring of NAs in these wastewaters are crucial for oil sands industry. Existing analytical methods used for analysis of NAs in water samples are time-consuming and expensive, and samples need to be sent to an analytical laboratory. Hence, development of a low-cost and fast analytical method for monitoring of NAs will help to address these challenges. A recent research program carried out at the University of Alberta in collaboration with Imperial Oil Resources Limited showed that microbial fuel cell (MFC) based biosensor could provide an efficient and cost-effective method for monitoring NAs in water samples. This proposal addresses the challenges that have to be overcome to develop this MFC biosensor for field application. The scope of the project includes understanding interactions among various NAs, the effect of various environmental parameters, long-term demonstration studies for detection of NAs in real process water, and development of a miniaturized biosensor. It is anticipated that this two-year project will culminate in the development of a robust MFC biosensor that can be used for on-site quantification or in-situ monitoring of NAs by oil sands industry, thereby ensuring sustainable environmental management in the oil sands mining operation.