Disrupted development in fathead minnow embryos exposed to wetland waters from the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Alberta, Canada

This study was conducted to assess the aquatic toxicity of natural wetlands in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) of northern Alberta, Canada. Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) embryos were exposed to water sampled from fifteen (15) naturally occurring wetlands sites that were collected in the fall of 2018. Assessed endpoints from this study included: time-to-hatch, deformities, growth, survival, and embryonic heart rate. Water quality parameters were also collected. The assessment of toxicity and chemicals present in natural wetlands provides background data for future studies and for the design of restorations wetlands for oil sands mining-disturbed landscapes.

All data, as well as specifications on each constructed wetland, are a part subject of a publication containing method details, full QA/QC, interpretation and conclusions. Citation: Parrott, J. L., Schock, D. M., Vander Meulen, I. J., Mundy, L., Pauli, B., Peru, K., & Headley, J. V. (2024). Disrupted development in fathead minnow embryos exposed to wetland waters from the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Alberta, Canada. The Science of the total environment, 957, 177407. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177407