Chemodynamic Behavior of Thallium in the Slave River, Northwest Territories, Canada
B. Tendler1, A. Hill1, E. Ohiozebau2, J.P. Giesy1,3,4, E. Kelly5, J. Fresque-Baxter5, Slave River and Delta Partnershipc/o 5,P.D. Jones1,2
1.Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada 2.School of Environment & Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada 3. Dept. of Biomedical Veterinary Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
4. Dept. of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China 5. Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Canada
Introduction
Methods
Methods
Sample Collection:
•Fish were collected in the summer fall and winter of 2011 and the spring
of 2012 from 5 sites along the Athabasca and Slave Rivers.
•Target sample size for each site was 30 individuals of each of 5 species
(Goldeye - Hiodon alosoides, Whitefish - Coregonus clupeaformis,
Northern Pike - Esox lucius, Walleye - Sander vitreus, Burbot - Lota lota).
•A total of 1498 fish were collected during these samplings.
•Each fish was examined externally and internally.
•Muscle, liver, bile, and blood plasma samples were taken for further
analysis of indicators of condition and health.
Species
Fort Smith (FS)
Peace Point (PP)
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012
www.PosterPresentations.com
Loche Mariah, Burbot (Lota lota) BB
P
0.015
GE
JF
WE
WF
Fort Chipewyan (FC)
Mean Concetration by Location (ppb)
FM
FC
FS
10.57 A
19.42 B
17.84 AB
9.59 A
24.98 BC
40.22 C
20.58 A
39.44 B
53.33 B
7.335 A
11.15 AB
21.21 B
FMU
12.66 AB
16.45 AB
19.12 A
FR
14.98 AB
55.25 C
17.36 B
Fort MacKay (FM)
<0.001
FMU
FM
7.95 AB
6.27 A
19.33 A
5.29 A
7.75 AB
27.02 AB
6.87 A
FC
3.89 A
7.88 A
33.31 AB
2.56 A
FS
9.56 AB
24.67 B
79 B
18.31 B
FR
15.53 B
39.43 B
78.54 B
17.82 B
P
P
FMU
FM
FC
PP
FF
FS
FR
GE
0.534
0.025
13.8 A
13.56 A
18.52 A
13.31 A
9.59 A
14.22 A
21.53 A
JF
<0.001
<0.001
11.21 A
15.67 AB
34.01 B
23.6 AB
19.7 AB
31.79 B
59.88 C
<0.001
24.01 A
45.1 AB
43.75 AB
32.13 A
31.03 A
87.59 B
89.41 B
0.001
6.25 A
6.75 AB
16.23 BC
13.88 AB
23.78 C
15.80 BC
WE
WF
Fort McMurray (FMU)
Upstream (US)
Quantification of Metals:
•Approximately 0.1 g of dry muscle was added to a 15 mL Teflon vial and
digested in concentrated nitric acid (69%) and hydrogen peroxide (30%).
•Digestates were evaporated until dry at approximately 70ᴼC.
•5 mL of 2% nitric acid was added to dry sample which was then filtered
(0.45 micrometre pore size) and transferred into 8 mL HDPE vial for
storage and analysis.
•Concentrations of 20 metals were measured by ICP-MS.
P
0.011
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
Spring
Oil Sands Projects
Figure 2.2: Mean (Error bars represent 1 standard error. ) concentrations (ng/g dm) of
thallium in muscle of 7 fishes from four locations in fall 2011. Graphs at right represent
mean concentrations of thallium in mussel of Walleye and Northern Pike.
<0.001
Figure 3: Results of statistical analysis. Parametric data was subjected to 1-way ANOVAs
followed by post hoc Tukey tests. Non-parametric data was subjected to Kruskal-Wallis test
followed by post hoc Mann Whitney U tests. Bonferroni correction was applied to the Mann
Whitney U tests to mitigate false positives.
Conclusions
• Concentrations of thallium were greater in fishes from the Slave River
than those from the Athabasca River.
• Thallium appears to be biomagnified, since fishes of greater trophic
levels (WE, JF) have equal or greater concentrations to those at lesser
trophic levels (GE, WF).
• Differences in concentrations of thallium in muscle of fishes from the
Slave and Athabasca Rivers could be due to factors such as water
quality or bioavailability.
• Concentrations of thallium were less than concentrations in the diet
known to cause adverse effects in humans.
Results
Further Research
•Most of the metals analysed varied little among locations.
•Concentrations of Thallium were significantly different among locations
•Concentrations of thallium were significantly different among trophic
levels. Northern pike and walleye had greater concentrations.
Northern Pike or Jackfish (Esox lucius) JF Walleye or Pickeral (Sander vitreus) WE
Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) WF
Kruskall-Wallis
P
0.043
<0.001
<0.001
<0.001
Fall
Figure 2.3: Mean (Error bars represent 1 standard error) concentrations of thallium in
muscle of seven fishes collected from five locations during spring of 2012. Graphs on right
represent the mean concentrations of thallium in muscle of Walleye and Northern Pike.
Goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) GE
ANOVA
P
0.02
GE
JF
WE
WF
Fort Fitzgerald (FF)
Figure 1: Sampling Locations.
This study was conducted to describe spatial and temporal distributions of
metals, specifically thallium, in tissues of fishes from selected locations
along the Athabasca and Slave Rivers.
Statistics
Summer
Fort Resolution (FR)
•Much of the current open-pit mining activities in the Alberta oilsands are
adjacent to the Athabasca River.
• Aerial emissions and oil sands process-affected waters contain many
different chemicals including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), and naphthenic acids, some of which are persistent, and of
potential concern to human and environmental health.
•Concerns have been expressed about potential effects of emissions on
the environment and human health by communities in the Athabasca River
basin as well as by communities in the downstream Slave and Mackenzie
river basins.
•Local communities have also reported an increase in the appearance of
lesions and deformities in fishes.
•These concerns have been exacerbated by uncertainties regarding the
origin of contaminants and magnitudes of exposure.
Objectives
Results
Figure 2.1: Mean (Error bars represent 1 standard error) concentrations of thallium (ng/g
dm) in muscle of fishes from each location during summer of 2011. Graphs on right
represent mean concentrations of thallium in dorsal muscle of Walleye and Northern Pike.
• Complete quantifications of other metals in liver.
• Measure speciation of thallium by use of column extraction and ICPMS.
• Measure relative proportions of stable isotopes of thallium, by use of
ICPMS.
Acknowledgements
This project would not have been possible without the assistance
provided by First Nations and Métis communities of Ft Resolution, Ft
Smith, Ft Chipewyan, Ft MacKay and Ft McMurray and by numerous
Provincial and Federal agencies. Funding for portions of this research was
provided by the Boreal Songbird Initiative (BSI), Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development Canada (AANDC) and the Government of the
Northwest Territories.