Analytical Methods for Understanding Sources and Fate Processes of Emerging Environmental Contaminants

今天，环境中化学污染物的存在引起了许多人的极大关注。了解物理和化学过程如何影响环境中的污染物浓度，对于准确确定污染物来源和控制其对人类和生态系统的潜在风险是必要的。加拿大环境特别关注的是石油羧酸（通常称为环烷酸）。这些化合物天然存在于沥青中，并可能通过暴露的沥青露头的侵蚀进入环境。然而，油砂工艺影响水（OSPW）中含有高浓度的这些化学物质，这些化学物质已被确定为OSPW中化学毒性的主要驱动因素。在地表水中发现它们引起了人们对潜在的人为来源和对生态系统的不利影响的关注。石油羧酸作为一种复杂的化学混合物存在，这使得单个成分的鉴定变得困难。这反过来又阻碍了对这些化学品的潜在来源和风险的了解。

The presence of chemical pollutants in the environment is of great concern to many people today. Knowledge of how physical and chemical processes influence pollutant concentrations in the environment is necessary to accurately determine sources of pollutants and for controlling their potential risks to humans and ecosystems. Of particularly concern to the Canadian environment are petroleum carboxylic acids (often referred to as naphthenic acids). These compounds are naturally present in bitumen and may enter the environment through the erosion of exposed bitumen outcrops. However, oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) contains high concentrations of these chemicals, which have been identified as the main driver of chemical toxicity in OSPW. Their detection in surface waters raises concerns about potential human sources and adverse effects on ecosystems. Petroleum carboxylic acids exist as a complex mixture of chemicals, which makes identification of individual components difficult. This, in turn, hampers understanding of potential sources and risks posed by these chemicals.