Toxicological characterization of water produced during simulated in situ processing of Green River formation oil shale
A study of the toxicity of R-17 oil shale process water to aquatic organisms has been completed. This water was generated during run 17 of a 150-ton capacity simulated in situ retort. The retort was supplied with Green River Formation oil shale from the Anvil Points mine in Colorado. Oil shale from the mine was subsequently designated the first interim western reference oil shale by the Department of Energy. Results of this study are, therefore, appropriate for inclusion in the Department of Energy reference oil shale data base. The toxic effects of untreated, treated, and fractionated R-17 process water were determined using bacteria (Microtox assay), zooplankton (Ceriodaphnia affinis/dubia), and fish (fathead minnow). A concentration of less than 1% process water was acutely toxic to all organisms tested. The toxicity of the water to the Microtox organism was substantially reduced following a treatment sequence of hot-gas stripping plus activated carbon adsorption plus reverse osmosis. However, the toxicity of the treated process water to Ceriodaphnia and fathead minnows remained relatively high with mortality occurring at concentrations of less than 10%. Tests of the major fractions of R-17 process water indicated that the organophilic fraction was more toxic to the Microtox organism, while the hydrophilic fraction was more toxic to Ceriodaphnia and fathead minnows. Un-ionized ammonia was identified as the principal constituent responsible for the toxicity of the hydrophilic fraction to Ceriodaphnia and fathead minnows. The toxicity of the treated process water to these organisms could have been further reduced by more effective removal of ammonia. 23 refs., 11 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-83FE60177
- OSTI ID:
- 6179979
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/FE/60177-2390; ON: DE87013437
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
040700* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Health & Safety
040900 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Waste management
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTIVATED CARBON
ADSORBENTS
AMMONIA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BACTERIA
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBON
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DIFFUSION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISHES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GREEN RIVER FORMATION
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
IN-SITU RETORTING
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SHALES
OSMOSIS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANKTON
PROCESSING
RETORTING
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
WATER TREATMENT
ZOOPLANKTON