Supporting Online Material for:

Spatial and temporal patterns in trace element deposition in the Athabasca oil sands region (Alberta,

Canada)

Colin A. Cooke1,2,*, Jane L. Kirk3,*, Derek C.G. Muir3, Johan A. Wiklund3, Xiaowa Wang3, Amber Gleason3,

Marlene S. Evans4

1Environmental Monitoring and Science Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, 9888 Jasper Avenue,

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta,

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

3Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario

L7S 1A1, Canada

4National Water Research Institute, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd.,

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

*corresponding author: colin.cooke@gov.ab.ca

Table S1. Physical and chemical properties of the lakes included in this study. RAMP stands for the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program, and

most sites are referred to by their RAMP lake name designation; other names are shown in brackets.

Year cored

Lake Latitude Longitude Lake surface area (km2)

Catchment area (km2)

C:L area ratio

Elevation (masl)

Zmax (m) Distance from AR6

2011 NE13 57.071 -111.475 0.03 1.92 56 320 1.5 10

2011 NE20 57.125 -111.558 0.05 2.12 44 265 1.7 16

2011 SE22 56.900 -111.140 0.04 1.34 32 455 4.1 22

2011 RAMP226 (SW22) 56.810 -111.723 0.18 4.12 23 500 1.5 26

2011 RAMP 223 (NW35) 57.146 -111.983 0.03 0.31 9 360 1.5 33

2012 RAMP 268 (E15) 56.894 -110.903 1.89 6.15 3 490 1.8 35

2012 RAMP 418 (Kearle) 57.292 -111.238 5.46 65.18 12 330 3.5 35

2012 RAMP 225 56.800 -111.918 0.23 2.19 9 510 1.2 36

2012 RAMP 185 57.147 -110.863 0.11 3.24 31 595 2.0 40

2012 2014-B 56.985 -110.811 0.07 1.53 22 522 1.9 41

2014 RAMP 209 (P7) 57.231 -110.746 0.11 1.09 10 580 1.2 50

2013 Gregoire 56.477 -111.145 26.57 262.45 10 475 7.2 61

2013 RAMP 175 (P13) 57.315 -112.398 0.38 4.97 13 590 1.5 64

2013 Pushup (2014-C) 56.386 -110.947 0.17 0.82 4 485 6.6 75

2014 2014-Z 57.436 -112.527 0.51 1277.11 2503 674 4.7 79

2014 2014-X 57.358 -112.731 0.08 0.50 5 746 1.6 84

2014 RAMP 271 56.645 -110.221 4.00 19.41 5 487 1.5 88

2013 2014-D 56.950 -113.025 0.04 1.58 35 529 2.1 94

2014 RAMP 464 (L60) 57.655 -112.617 0.93 29.21 31 685 4.6 100

2013 2014-Y 56.824 -113.268 0.06 3.82 62 493 2.0 108

Table S2a. The method detection limit (MDL) and average (±1 percent recovery of elements quantified within the certified reference

materials (CRMs). One of each CRM was analyzed with each batch of sediment samples.

As Be Bi Cd Co Cu Li Mo Ni Pb Rb Sb Tl

MDL (g/g) 0.02 0.005 0.005 0.1 0.01 0.2 0.05 0.02 0.2 0.02 0.05 0.01 0.005

NRC MESS-3 (n=4) 86(±5) 35(±1) 50(±14) 95(±7) 85(±5) 95(±8) 35(±2) 60(±9) 82(±6) 87(±6) - 39(±19) 15(±1)

NIST RM 8704 (n=5) 96(±6) 45(±3) 103(±2) 106(±1) 87(±5) - - - 87(±9) 99(±5) - 62(±11) -

LKSD-3 (n=5) 55(±4) 32(±2) 94(±2) 91(±2) 94(±6) 101(±4) - 44(±1) 105(±6) 98(±2) 31(±1) 55(±7) -

U Al Ba Cr Fe Mn Sr V Zn Ca Mg Na K

MDL (g/g) 0.002 20 0.5 0.05 5 0.5 0.05 0.1 0.5 50 10 5 20

NRC MESS-3 (n=4) - 16(±2) - 25(±4) 81(±10) 95(±13) 43(±3) 23(±1) 89(±8) 91(±7) 85(±12) 102(±13) 14(±2)

NIST RM 8704 (n=5) 22(±1) 18(±3) 20(±0) 60(±8) 86(±8) 84(±24) - 22(±2) 96(±5) 85(±6) 72(±10) - -

LKSD-3 (n=5) 80(±2) - 25(±1) 100(±10) 94(±7) 103(±10) 10(±1) 86(±6) 98(±3) - - - -

Table S2b. The average percent recovery of mercury quantified within the certified reference materials (CRMs) and the mean percent difference

between samples analyzed in duplicate and in triplicate.

QC Sample Certified

value Mean [Hg]

(ng/g) % Recovery n

2976 Mussel 61 ± 4 59 ± 2 97% 20

Mess-3 91 ± 9 91 ± 2 1% 19

Tort-2 270 ± 60 250 ± 28 93% 19

Blanks 0.1 ± 0.2 n/a 121

QC Sample Mean %

difference n Duplicates 3 ± 2 14 Triplicates 6 ± 8 6

Table S3. Summary of exceedences to the interim sediment quality guidelines (ISQG) and the probable

effects levels (PEL) as set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME).

Number of ISQG Exceedences

Number of PEL Exceedences

Lake As Cd Cr Cu Pb Hg Zn

As Cd Cr Cu Pb Hg Zn

SE22

3

RAMP 226 (SW22)

25

25

RAMP 223 (NW35)

RAMP 268 (E15)

1

RAMP 418 (Kearle)

1

RAMP 225

1

RAMP 185

24

9

2014-B

RAMP 209 (P7)

6

1

Gregoire 20 20

2

RAMP 175 (P13)

31

Pushup

10 10

1

2014-Z

2014-X

RAMP 271 2

2014-D 23

3

RAMP 464 (L60)

24

24 23

2

2014-Y

1

14

RAMP 282

RAMP 274

RAMP 265

SUM 45 132 0 0 0 37 87

4 0 0 0 0 0 1

Figure S1. Google Earth images of Gregoire Lake (top) and Pushup Lake (below), both of which rest in

watersheds impacted by development.

Figure S2. (A) Age-depth models derived using the constant rate of supply (CRS) model and (B) CRS-derived sedimentation rates for each of the

sediment cores.

Age-depth model

Sedimentation rate (g/m2/y)

Year

Figure S3. Mean lake water V, Pb, Al, and Ca concentrations from a network of 50 regional lakes. Error

bars are 1 SD. Each lake was sampled once annually (in the fall) between 1999 and 2013.