A tailings pond water sample (designated TPW) was collected from a Syncrude test pit (GIS 57.0380885, −111.5407123) courtesy of Warren Zubot (Syncrude). The test pit was excavated in 1993 and filled with aged recycled water from the Mildred Lake Settling Basin (MLSB). A second tailings pond water sample (designated 2m) was supplied by L. Gieg (University of Calgary) and collected at a water depth of 2 m from a Suncor tailings pond (GIS 56.9923073, −111.4979146).
For ion chromatography, environmental samples were diluted 10-fold in MilliQ water and filtered through a GF/F filter (Whatman) by vacuum. Samples were analyzed using an ICS-3000 Dionex. For cation analysis, the eluent was 20 mM methyl sulfonic acid run at a flow rate of 1 ml min−1 for 30 mins on a Dionex Ionpac 4-mm column (column temperature, 30°C). The eluted cations were detected with a CSRS 300 4-mm Suppressor onto a conductivity cell detector. For the anion analysis, the eluent was MilliQ water and 100 mM KOH. Potassium hydroxide was run on a gradient with a flow of 0.25 ml min−1. This was run through an Ionpac AS 18 2-mm column onto a conductivity cell detector. For total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, samples were measured using a Shimadzu TOC-VCHS pyrolyser fitted with an SSM 5000A solid sample module and running TOC-Control V software v. 2.00.
For ion chromatography, environmental samples were diluted 10-fold in MilliQ water and filtered through a GF/F filter (Whatman) by vacuum. Samples were analyzed using an ICS-3000 Dionex. For cation analysis, the eluent was 20 mM methyl sulfonic acid run at a flow rate of 1 ml min−1 for 30 mins on a Dionex Ionpac 4-mm column (column temperature, 30°C). The eluted cations were detected with a CSRS 300 4-mm Suppressor onto a conductivity cell detector. For the anion analysis, the eluent was MilliQ water and 100 mM KOH. Potassium hydroxide was run on a gradient with a flow of 0.25 ml min−1. This was run through an Ionpac AS 18 2-mm column onto a conductivity cell detector. For total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, samples were measured using a Shimadzu TOC-VCHS pyrolyser fitted with an SSM 5000A solid sample module and running TOC-Control V software v. 2.00.