Evaluating the Metal Tolerance Capacity of Oil Sands Tailings Microbes, and their Ability to Degrade Naphthenic Acids While Attached to Biochar

Alberta’s oil sands process water (OSPW) was used herein as a case to investigate co-contaminated wastewater treatment; naphthenic acids (NAs, implicated for OSPW toxicity) and metals have been reported in OSPW. This thesis sought to evaluate the metal tolerances of a native OSPW microbial community, and the effect of OSPW-specific metals on their ability to degrade NAs. Furthermore, this work focused on enhancing OSPW treatment by growing these NA-degrading communities on an engineered adsorbent, biochar, under the hypothesis that combining the effects of biochar with attached OSPW microbes would be more effective at contaminant removal than either independent approach. Metal susceptibility experiments with the OSPW community demonstrated elevated tolerances to OSPW metals. Microbial-biochar work showed biochar NA removal was enhanced by microbial degradation, with mixed results in the effects of metal co-contamination on biodegradation with each biochar. Metal immobilization was improved by microbial attachment to adsorbents, regardless of biochar assayed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Frankel, Mathew

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Turner, Raymond J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Gieg, Lisa
• Layzell, David

• Microbiology

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25976

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/3018