Tailings ponds in the oil sands (OS) region in Alberta, Canada, have been associated with fugitive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants to the atmosphere. However, the contribution of tailings ponds to the total fugitive emissions of VOCs from OS operations remains uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, a field study was conducted in the summer of 2017 at Suncor’s Pond 2/3 to estimate emissions of a suite of pollutants including 68 VOCs using a combination of micrometeorological methods and measurements from a flux tower. The results indicate that in 2017, Pond 2/3 was an emission source of 3322 ± 727 tons of VOCs including alkanes, aromatics, and oxygenated and sulfur-containing organics. While the total VOC emissions were approximately a factor of 2 higher than those reported by Suncor, the individual VOC species emissions varied by up to a factor of 12. A chemical mass balance (CMB) receptor model was used to estimate the contribution of the tailings pond to VOC pollution events in a nearby First Nations and Metis community in Fort McKay. CMB results indicate that Suncor Pond 2/3 contributed up to 57% to the total mass of VOCs measured at Fort McKay, reinforcing the importance of accurate VOC emission estimation methods for tailings ponds.

中文翻译：

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阿尔伯塔油砂区尾矿池挥发性有机化合物的无组织排放

加拿大艾伯塔省油砂 (OS) 地区的尾矿池与挥发性有机化合物 (VOC) 和其他污染物向大气的逃逸排放有关。然而，尾矿池对 OS 操作产生的 VOC 总逃逸排放量的贡献仍然不确定。为了弥补这一知识差距，2017 年夏天在 Suncor 的 Pond 2/3 进行了一项实地研究，以结合使用微气象学方法和通量塔的测量来估算包括 68 种挥发性有机化合物在内的一系列污染物的排放量。结果表明，2017年2/3池排放烷烃类、芳烃类、含氧含硫有机物等VOCs 3322±727吨。虽然总 VOC 排放量比 Suncor 报告的排放量高出大约 2 倍，单个 VOC 物种的排放变化高达 12 倍。化学质量平衡 (CMB) 受体模型用于估计尾矿池对麦凯堡附近原住民和梅蒂斯社区的 VOC 污染事件的贡献。CMB 结果表明，Suncor Pond 2/3 在 Fort McKay 测量的 VOC 总质量中贡献高达 57%，强调了准确的尾矿池 VOC 排放估算方法的重要性。