Threshold Considerations and Wetland Reclamation in Alberta's Mineable Oil Sands

Aquatic reclamation in the Athabasca, Canada, oil sands: naphthenate and salt effects on phytoplankton communities.

Microcosm experiments with natural indigenous phytoplankton communities were conducted to assess the effects of waters from oil sands extraction processes, emphasizing the naphthenate and salt constituents. Process waters of varying ages (zero to eight years) remediation histories, and chemical composition were obtained from outdoor mesocosms and inoculated with phytoplankton assemblages from a...

Oil sands mining and reclamation cause massive loss of peatland and stored carbon.

We quantified the wholesale transformation of the boreal landscape by open-pit oil sands mining in Alberta, Canada to evaluate its effect on carbon storage and sequestration. Contrary to claims made in the media, peatland destroyed by open-pit mining will not be restored. Current plans dictate its replacement with upland forest and tailings storage lakes, amounting to the destruction of over 29...

Bacterial Root Microbiome of Plants Growing in Oil Sands Reclamation Covers

Oil sands mining in northern Alberta impacts a large footprint, but the industry is committed to reclaim all disturbed land to an ecologically healthy state in response to environmental regulations. However, these newly reconstructed landscapes may be limited by several factors that include low soil nutrient levels and reduced microbial activity. Rhizosphere microorganisms colonize plant roots ...

Thermal Reclamation of the Used Moulding Sands

M. Łucarz, AGH University of Science of Technology, Engineering of Faculty Foundry, Kraków, Poland The paper presents the results of the research on the used moulding sands subjected to mechanical and thermal reclamation at different stages of the process in the foundry. The research on thermal treatment was carried out in an experimental thermal reclamation appliance. The effects of the proces...

Oil Sands Contaminants