Accumulation of toxins of oil sand in freshwater

Article Type: News From: Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, Volume 24, Issue 3.

Recent studies by Canadian scientists indicate that oil sands operations may lead to pollutants being released into water systems. A study of sediment in a sample of Canadian lakes showed the level of pollutants, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), had risen since the 1960s when oil sands development began. However, the researchers added that PAH concentrations were still lower than those found in urban lakes. The chemicals occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and petroleum; they are also present in products made from fossil fuels, such as creosote and asphalt. PAHs also can be released into the air during the burning of fossil fuels and organic matter – the less efficient the burning process, the more PAHs are given off. The development of the oil sands sector has been controversial, prompting polemic debates between those in favour of utilising the resource to cushion the Canadian economy from shocks in global energy prices and those who say the environmental costs are too high.