On the occurrence, behaviour, and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in aquatic environments

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dc.contributor.authorVander Meulen, Ian J.
dc.contributor.authorHeadley, John V.
dc.contributor.authorMcMartin, Dena
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-18T17:57:50Z
dc.date.available2025-07-18T17:57:50Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) applies
dc.description.abstractNaphthenic acids and naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) are associated with production of unconventional petroleum resources, especially the Athabasca Oil Sands of Alberta, Canada. This complex mixture of acidic organic compounds is toxic to a variety of taxa, and so represents an important environmental management challenge. Thus, there is clear motivation to better understand the occurrence and characteristics of NAFCs in aquatic environments, their chemical behaviour, and environmental fate. Empowered by modern high-resolution mass spectrometry analyses, improved descriptions of the environmental occurrence of NAFCs have emerged. These studies include spatiotemporal survey studies describing the characteristics and quantities of NAFCs, as well as forensic methods working towards reliable source differentiations. Work has also proceeded in earnest to advance mechanistic understandings of how NAFCs are affected by passive phenomena, such as soil and sediment sorption, and chemically reactive mechanisms such as photolysis and biodegradation. Further advances describe the environmental fate and behaviour of NAFCs as they are transported and transformed across environmental compartments. In the context of Canadian oil sands, the available data describe NAFCs as a dynamic compound class that both affects and is affected by their receiving environment. By working towards a comprehensive understanding of the behaviour and fate of NAs and NAFCs, we might better anticipate the extent to which residual toxic effects may persist in reclaimed landscapes.
dc.description.peer-reviewYes
dc.identifier.citationVander Meulen, I. J., Headley, J. V., & McMartin, D. W. (2025). On the occurrence, behaviour, and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in aquatic environments. Science of the Total Environment, 960, Article 178383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178383
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7074
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Science
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Saskatchewan
dc.publisher.institutionEnvironmenta and Climate Change Canada
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Lethbridge
dc.publisher.urlhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178383
dc.subjectOil sands
dc.subjectNaphthenic acids
dc.subjectForensics
dc.subjectMass spectrometry
dc.subjectAquatic contaminants
dc.subjectAthabasca Oil Sands
dc.subjectNaphthenic acid fraction compounds
dc.subject.lcshAthabasca Tar Sands (Alta.)
dc.titleOn the occurrence, behaviour, and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in aquatic environments
dc.typeArticle
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