Bruce W. Kilgour

Using the normal range as a criterion for ecological significance in environmental monitoring and assessment

Data from monitoring programs are often used to compare a potentially impacted location with unimpacted reference locations. Regardless of the experimental design, both statistical and biological c...

Using ultrahigh‐resolution mass spectrometry and toxicity identification techniques to characterize the toxicity of oil sands process‐affected water: The case for classical naphthenic acids

Previous assessments of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) toxicity were hampered by lack of high-resolution analytical analysis, use of nonstandard toxicity methods, and variability between OSPW samples. We integrated ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry with a toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) approach to quantitatively identify the primary cause of acute toxicity of OSPW to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The initial characterization of OSPW toxicity indicated that toxicity was associated with nonpolar organic compounds, and toxicant(s) were further isolated within a range of discrete methanol fractions that were then subjected to Orbitrap mass spectrometry to evaluate the contribution of naphthenic acid fraction compounds to toxicity. The results showed that toxicity was attributable to classical naphthenic acids, with the potency of individual compounds increasing as a function of carbon number. Notably, the mass of classical naphthenic acids present in OSPW was dominated by carbon numbers ≤16; however, toxicity was largely a function of classical naphthenic acids with ≥17 carbons. Additional experiments found that acute toxicity of the organic fraction was similar when tested at conductivities of 400 and 1800 μmhos/cm and that rainbow trout fry were more sensitive to the organic fraction than larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Collectively, the results will aid in developing treatment goals and targets for removal of OSPW toxicity in water return scenarios both during operations and on mine closure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3148-3157.

An Adaptive Environmental Effects Monitoring Framework for Assessing the Influences of Liquid Effluents on Benthos, Water, and Sediments in Aquatic Receiving Environments

Environmental effects monitoring (EEM) has been traditionally used to evaluate the effects of existing facilities discharging liquid effluents into natural receiving waters in Canada. EEM also has the potential to provide feedback to an ongoing project in an adaptive management context and can inform the design of future projects. EEM, consequently, can and should also be used to test the predictions of effects related to new projects. Despite EEMs potential for widespread applicability, challenges related to the effective implementation of EEM include the use of appropriate study designs and the adoption of tiers for increasing or decreasing monitoring intensity. Herein we describe a template for designing and implementing a 6-tiered EEM program that utilizes information from the project-planning and predevelopment baseline data collection stages to build on forecasts from the initial environmental impact assessment project-design stage and that feeds into an adaptive management process. Movement between the 6 EEM tiers is based on the exceedance of baseline monitoring triggers, forecast triggers, and management triggers at various stages in the EEM process. To distinguish these types of triggers, we review the historical development of numeric and narrative triggers as applied to chemical (water and sediment) and biological (plankton, benthos, fish) endpoints. We also provide an overview of historical study design issues and discuss how the 6 EEM tiers and associated triggers influence the temporal-spatial experimental design options and how the information gained through EEM could be used in an adaptive management context. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:552-566.

Developing and applying control charts to detect changes in water chemistry parameters measured in the Athabasca River near the oil sands: A tool for surveillance monitoring

Control charting is a simple technique to identify change and is well suited for use in water quality programs. Control charts accounting for covariation associated with discharge and in some cases time were used to explore example and representative variables routinely measured in the Athabasca River near the oil sands area for indications of change. The explored variables include 5 major ions (chloride, sodium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium), 5 total metals (aluminum, iron, thallium, molybdenum, vanadium), and total suspended solids at two sites straddling the developments north of Fort McMurray. Regression equations developed from reference data (1988-2009) were used to predict observations and calculate residuals from later test data (2010-2016). Evidence of change was sought in the deviation of residual errors from the test period compared with the patterns expected and defined from probability distributions of the reference residuals using the odds ratio. In most cases, the patterns in test residuals were not statistically different from those expected from the reference period at either site, especially when data were examined annually. However, differences were found at both locations, more were found at the downstream site, and more differences emerged as data accumulated and were analyzed over time. In sum, the analyses at the downstream site suggest higher concentrations than predicted in most major ions, but the source of the changes is uncertain. In contrast, the concentrations of most metals at during the test period were lower than expected, which may be related to deposition patterns of materials or weathering of minerals during construction activities of the 2000s which influence the reference data used. The analyses also suggest alternative approaches may be necessary to understand change in some variables. Despite this, the results support the use of control charts to detect changes in water chemistry parameters and the value of the tool in surveillance phases of long-term and adaptive monitoring programs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2296-2311.