A preliminary study of chemical and microbial characteristics of the Athabasca River in the Athabasca oil sands area of northeastern Alberta

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Costerton, J. W.
  • Nix, P. G.
  • Ventullo, R.
  • Coutts, R. T.

• A literature review and evaluation of methods used to determine rates of bacterial uptake (heterotrophic assimilation) of organic substrates in fresh water systems was undertaken. The uptake of a \"universal\" substrate - radiolabelled glutamic acid - was determined in order to assess the effects of organic compounds from both natural (oil sands) and industrial (oil extraction and refining) sources on the rate of heterotrophic assimilation in the Athabasca River. Only partial results are available due to an unanticipated termination of this project for reasons beyond our control. On the basis of this preliminary investigation, it was concluded that oil sands mining wastes have no significant stimulatory or toxic effect on the uptake of glutamic acid by the planktonic bacterial populations of the Athabasca River.

• Date created

  1979

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Oil Sands
  • AOSERP
  • Oil sands
  • Tar Sands
  • Literature Review
  • Tar sands
  • Bacteria
  • AOSERP WS 2.3
  • Athabasca River
  • Alberta
  • Organics
  • Canada, Alberta, Fort McMurray

• Type of Item

  Report

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3VT1GQ9T

• License

  This material is provided under educational reproduction permissions included in Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development's Copyright and Disclosure Statement, see terms at http://www.environment.alberta.ca/copyright.html. This Statement requires the following identification: \"The source of the materials is Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development http://www.environment.gov.ab.ca/. The use of these materials by the end user is done without any affiliation with or endorsement by the Government of Alberta. Reliance upon the end user's use of these materials is at the risk of the end user.