Adverse Effects of Remediated and Unremediated Oil Sands Process-Affected Water on Zebrafish Embryo Morphological Development
Abstract
Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) generated from bitumen extraction in the Alberta oil sands is accumulating in on-site tailings ponds. The organic fraction of OSPW is a primary target for remediation as it is toxic to aquatic organisms. Here, robust morphometric biomarkers were identified in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos for determining the acute toxicities of the acid extracted organics (AEOs) and diluted OSPW. AEOs/OSPW exposures reduced survival and increased cardiovascular, growth, swim bladder and behavioural abnormalities in zebrafish embryos. Phosphate biostimulation of indigenous algal species in OSPW reduced the C5 – C12 cluster of naphthenic acids (NAs) abundance in the AEO fraction by ≥ 50%. Following phosphate biostimulation, embryonic zebrafish endpoints previously sensitive to AEO/OSPW constituents were ameliorated. These findings implicate the acute toxicity of C5 – C12 NAs on zebrafish development and highlight the potential of algal-based NA biodegradation for reducing the impact of OSPW to aquatic organisms.
Description
Keywords
Animal Physiology, Physiology, Toxicology
Citation
Toth, C. G. (2016). Adverse Effects of Remediated and Unremediated Oil Sands Process-Affected Water on Zebrafish Embryo Morphological Development (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24730