Calcium nitrate treatment of oil sand tailings for improved densification and reduced greenhouse gas emissions

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atmire.migration.oldid1711
dc.contributor.advisorVoordouw, Gerrit
dc.contributor.authorBrown, Damon Craig
dc.date.accessioned2013-12-19T21:02:08Z
dc.date.available2014-03-15T07:00:17Z
dc.date.issued2013-12-19
dc.date.submitted2013en
dc.description.abstractCanada contains one of the world’s largest bitumen reservoirs, the mining of which produces huge volumes of tailings stored in ponds where they persist as mature fine tailings (MFT) for decades, releasing up to 43,000 m3 d-1 biogenic methane from a single pond. MFT are typically treated with gypsum or polyacrylamide (PAM) to accelerate densification. Microbial reduction of sulfate and methane formation have been associated with improved densification through an unknown mechanism. Here, calcium nitrate treatment balanced with a carbon and energy source (molasses) was found to inhibit methanogenesis and reduced the number of syntrophs and methanogens present. Nitrous oxide emissions were found to be transient while the microbial cell counts increased suggesting biomass has a stronger influence on enhanced microbial densification than biogenic gas. Microbes associated with PAM treated tailings were found to remove amide groups and in the presence of oxygen create a nitrogen cycle while maintaining PAM flocs integrity.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBrown, D. C. (2013). Calcium nitrate treatment of oil sand tailings for improved densification and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25191en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25191
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/1218
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectMicrobiology
dc.subject.classificationoil sandsen_US
dc.subject.classificationdensificationen_US
dc.subject.classificationGreenhouse gasen_US
dc.subject.classificationTailingsen_US
dc.subject.classificationNitrateen_US
dc.titleCalcium nitrate treatment of oil sand tailings for improved densification and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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