Multi-year trends in the spatiotemporal occurrence and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in a pilot-scale engineered treatment wetland

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dc.contributor.authorVander Meulen, Ian
dc.contributor.authorAhad, Jason M. E.
dc.contributor.authorMartineau, Christine
dc.contributor.authorMuench, Douglas G.
dc.contributor.authorMcMartin, Dena
dc.contributor.authorHeadley, John V.
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-23T19:25:38Z
dc.date.available2025-10-23T19:25:38Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) applies
dc.description.abstractIn the Athabasca Oil Sands region (AOSR) of Alberta, Canada, there are ∼1.4 billion m3 of fluid tailings containing known toxic constituents which will require treatment and must be reclaimed before closure. One class of contaminants of concern are naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs). While various treatment strategies have been considered, constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTSs) have emerged as a semi-passive, high throughput, and potentially cost-effective option. Here, non-targeted Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry was applied to assess the NAFC remediation efficacy of a 1-ha CWTS operated over two field seasons (2021 and 2022) at a site situated in the Northern of Alberta. Concentrations of total NAFCs decreased consistently during a closed CWTS operation with OSPW recirculation at each field seasons. Concurrently, O2-NAFCs (i.e., classical NAs) steadily decreased while more-oxygen-rich formulae increased in spectral abundance, consistent with oxidative degradation. Attenuation rates of NAFCs were more rapid at the outset of the season (∼0.53 mg/L/d), where treatment rates eventually decreased (∼0.25 mg/L/d). Molecular-level characterization of treatment outcomes showed that the highest molecular weight O2-NAFCs detected (i.e., #C > 14) decreased the most, whereas all O3- and O4-NAFCs generally increased in relative spectral abundance. Shallow, heavily vegetated cells of the wetlands tended to have lower NAFC concentrations and more oxygen-rich compounds, suggesting substantial attenuation of NAFCs in these segments. These results demonstrate that this field-scale CWTS effectively in depletes and transforms OSPW-derived NAFCs under environmental conditions found in the AOSR
dc.description.peer-reviewYes
dc.identifier.citationVander Meulen, I., Ahad, J. M. E., Martineau, C., Muench, D. G., McMartin, D. W., & Headley, J. V. (2025). Multi-year trends in the spatiotemporal occurrence and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in a pilot-scale engineered treatment wetland. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 13(5), Article 117568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.117568
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7195
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geography and Environment
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Science
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Saskatchewan
dc.publisher.institutionNational Hydrology Research Centre
dc.publisher.institutionGeological Survey of Canada
dc.publisher.institutionLaurentian Forestry Centre
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Lethbridge
dc.publisher.urlhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.117568
dc.subjectNaphthenic acid fraction compounds
dc.subjectAthabasca Oilsands
dc.subjectPilot-scale wetlands
dc.subjectEngineered wetlands
dc.subjectTailings pond water reclamation
dc.subjectOrbitrap-MS analysis
dc.titleMulti-year trends in the spatiotemporal occurrence and fate of naphthenic acid fraction compounds in a pilot-scale engineered treatment wetland
dc.typeArticle
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