Comparative toxicity of selected naphthenic acids, oil sands processed water and surface waters in rainbow trout hepatocytes: A gene expression study (original) (raw)

SOJ Biochemistry Open Access Research article deposits and is considered one of the world's largest oil reserves with an estimated yield of 27 billion cubic meters of crude oil [1]. OS consist of about 10% bitumen and 5% water, with the remainder being sand and clay. The extraction process involves adding hot caustic water to OS under aeration to separate bitumen from the OS (Clark extraction process). The crude oil fraction, which partitions at the surface, is then further extracted with the addition of solvents (naphtha, toluene) to yield a more concentrated non-polar fraction. The remaining water and sediment deposits constitute the OSPW, which is released into large tailing ponds covering many square kilometers. Numerous contaminants are found in OSPW, including a number of alkaliextractable compounds such as Naphthenic Acids (NAs), polyaromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons and various inorganic elements such as sodium, vanadium, strontium, calcium, nickel and sulfates [2-4].Recent evidence has shown that OS mining activity was associated with increased releases of dissolved PAHs and heavy metals, which raised concerns about the ecotoxicological consequences of these activities [5-6]. NAs are cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons that can reach concentrations as high as 50 mg/ L in tailing ponds [7]. NAs follow the C n H 2n-z O x rule which comprise at least one carboxylic acid and they are suspected to be a major component of OSPW toxicity. However, the presence of NAs has been observed in runoff waters (leachates) from OS storage sites, indicating that OSPW is not the only source of NA in the environment [8]. This highlights the difficulty of identifying specific markers of OSPW in the environment at low levels, although the highest concentrations of NAs are found in OSPW. The toxicity of OSPW to aquatic organisms has received increasing attention over the last decade. Toxicity has been examined at various levels, including endocrine disruption, DNA damage, immune competence, biotransformation and reproduction. Goldfish exposed to OSPW for 12 weeks showed elevated expression of pro inflammatorygenes such as interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor 2 in the spleen and kidneys [9].