Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry for Analyzing the Fates of Heavy Metals from Energy Industry in Western Canada

能源工业占草原省份工业总产值的25%以上。目前，能源工业的发展与许多环境问题有关，例如危险废物的产生、土壤污染和水污染。在含能燃料的开采、加工、运输和消费过程中，会释放出大量的重金属。重金属污染物排放后会通过大气、土壤和水体迁移，污染周围环境，对人类和野生动物造成影响和风险。污染物在环境中的行为是由许多相互作用的因素决定的。由于寒冷地区能源活动和环境因素的异质性，这些复杂性可能会加剧。在没有考虑这些复杂性的情况下获得的现有知识是不够的，往往无法支持加拿大西部这些问题的评估和管理。为了应对这一挑战，需要电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）仪器来量化周围环境中的痕量重金属。本研究的目的包括：（a）建立一种ICP-MS方法，用于测定受能源工业影响的环境中痕量金属的含量;（B）探索重金属在周围环境中的迁移和积累;（c）促进所建立的方法在加拿大西部能源工业相关环境问题中的应用。

Energy industry contributes over 25% to the prairie provinces’ gross industrial outputs. Development of energy industry is currently associated with a number of environmental concerns, such as hazardous waste generation, soil contamination, and water pollution. A large amount of heavy metals have been released during the exploration, processing, transportation and consumption of energetic fuels. After being discharged, heavy metal pollutants can migrate through atmosphere, soil and water and contaminate surrounding environment, resulting in impacts and risks on human and wildlife. Pollutant behaviors in the environment are governed by a number of interactive factors. These complexities can be intensified due to the heterogeneity of energy activities and environmental factors in cold regions. The existing knowledge gained without considering these complexities is inadequate and often incapable for supporting assessment and management of these issues in Western Canada. To address such challenge, an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument is required to quantify the trace-level heavy metals in the surrounding environment. The objectives of this research include: (a) to develop an ICP-MS method to determine the content of trace level metals in the environment influenced by energy industry; (b) to explore the transport and accumulation of heavy metals in the surrounding environment; (c) to promote application of the developed methodologies to related environmental problems in energy industry of western Canada.