Spatial patterns of natural polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment in the lower Athabasca River

The Athabasca Oil Sands is one of the four natural oil sands deposits in Northern Alberta, Canada, and are by far the largest oil sand deposit in North America, covering an area of 46,000 km(2). Sediment samples were collected from the bed and bank of several tributaries that have naturally occurring exposures of oil sand material. Oil sand deposited along the lower Athabasca River, more than 100 kill downstream of naturally occurring oil sand exposures, were also sampled. The levels of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in samples collected from these various locations ranged from not detected to almost 50 ppm. Using dibenzothiophene/chrysene (C2/D2 vs. C3/D3) double ratio plots, it is possible to approximate the relative degree of degradation or weathering of the PAHs from these various sediment deposits along the lower Athabasca River and its tributaries. Similarly a plot or dibenzothiophene/phenanthrene (D2/P2 vs. D3/P3) indicate the possible origins of the oil. A combination of these plots, D3/P3 vs. D3/C3, was particularly useful in identifying weathering characteristics of different sources of the oil. Comparison of alkylated PAH distributions between the lower Athabasca River and the tributaries show slight differences consistent with different petrogenic sources and/or different weathering patterns.