Presence and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediment Contaminated with Tar Sands Crude Oil

Contamination of sediment with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from heavy crude oils (ex. tar sands oil) pose significant threats to human health as well as to the natural ecosystem. These compounds may persist in the environment for long periods of time following a crude oil spill. As such, this study sought to evaluate the persistence of PAHs in sediment and possible correlation between PAH distribution and grain size. This was accomplished through the collection of sediment samples from a portion of river bank along the Kalamazoo River near Ceresco, MI. Five years previously, a pipeline break spilled an estimated 843,000 gallons of diluted bitumen being transported from Alberta, Canada’s Athabasca oil field. Samples were collected from two areas: 1) an area of the river bank that was reworked following the spill and 2) an area in the floodplain thought to have been inundated with oil at the time of the spill but has since remained relatively undisturbed. The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) for 17 PAHs known to have potentially harmful human and ecosystem health effects. Results indicate the presence of PAHs in all samples, including individual compounds which can be used as biomarkers for the Athabasca oil field. In addition, a detailed analysis of grain size was carried out on each sediment sample. There is some variability in the presence of specific PAHs between sample location and sediment grain size fraction, though identifying a clear correlation is complex. Since production and transportation of tar sands oil is projected to increase in the coming years, understanding the fate of PAHs in the environment is crucial to remediation preparedness. By relating the persistence of PAH compounds to grain size in a dynamic natural environment, it may be possible to better predict areas where PAHs may concentrate in future spills of tar sands oil, thus better informing future remediation efforts in similar environments

Finding a Voice: Overcoming Shame Through a Classroom Collective Exploration of Vulnerability

In keeping with the call for greater justice and diversity within the occupational therapy profession, many educational programs are taking steps to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across their curriculum. In this paper, we will introduce the theoretical concepts underpinning the first assignment in a DEI curriculum thread in one entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program, grounding it in critical pedagogy and exploring how it provides a first step to critical aptitude by providing space for an open-ended, reflexive dialogue about subjective experiences of internalized shame and marginalization. Students learn how to practice self awareness, understand shame culture, and recognize their own positionality within a greater culture of shame and oppression, particularly around healthcare. Evaluation of the innovation is presented, both from students and faculty, demonstrating the value in this assignment as a first step toward developing cultural humility

Toward a Defined Role for Occupational Therapy in Foster Care Transition Programming

Youth who age out of the foster care system and transition to adulthood face challenges that are exacerbated by a history of trauma, severed relationships, and instability of living and educational placements. A review of the literature demonstrates poor outcomes overall for this population. Occupational therapists are positioned to meet the needs that arise during this time; however, a review of emerging roles for occupational therapists is necessary to describe how occupational therapists can best fulfill gaps in current programming. Through a review of the literature and a preliminary mixed-methods study, this paper establishes a direction for the inclusion of occupational therapy for youth aging out of foster care using the Person Environment Occupation Performance (PEOP) model as a structure. Federal, state, and local organizations provide resources to assist transitioning foster youth. However, there is a lack of collaborative, individualized, and evidence-based approaches reporting good outcomes. Specific occupational therapy interventions are suggested to delineate our role with this high-risk population during transition to independent living: both novel interventions and additions to current evidence-based programming

TOC, C/N, δ\u3csup\u3e13\u3c/sup\u3eC, and δ\u3csup\u3e15\u3c/sup\u3eN of Shales from the Mississippian Michigan Formation, Western Michigan

The Mississippian Michigan Formation, exposed in an abandoned gypsum mine in Wyoming, Michigan, is composed of very thick beds of gypsum interbedded with much thinner beds of siliciclastic-rich dolomite and shale. Samples of shale (15 total) from three cyclic units (unit 3, oldest; unit 1, youngest) exposed in the mine were collected. Each of the three beds of shale has a distinct appearance, especially that in unit 1, which is much thicker (mean, 1.0m), more brown in color, and more silt-rich than the gray shales in units 2 (mean thickness, 0.3m) and 3. Proxies [total organic carbon (TOC), carbon/total nitrogen (C/N) ratios, organic δ13C, and total δ15N] were used to help determine the depositional environment of the shales. To remove inorganic carbon for TOC and organic δ13C analyses, samples were treated with HCL. As others have also observed, acid-treatment consistently decreased the percent nitrogen in the samples. However, we did not see a consistent change in δ15N with acid-treated samples. Nevertheless, results of analyses for only untreated samples were used for all nitrogen proxies. Low percentages of TOC (0.20 - 0.51%) in our samples indicate low productivity of organic matter. δ13C (-22.77 to -25.39‰ PDB) implies carbon input from mixed marine-derived water and freshwater sources, which supports a marginal marine depositional environment as suggested by previous studies. On δ13C versus C/N plots, the data for units 1, 2, and 3 fall in three different fields. Unit 2 is most typical of a marine source, which is consistent with field observations. δ15N (1.78 – 3.77‰) remains enigmatic; however, it may also indicate a mix of sources. The lack of terrestrial plant indicators suggests an arid environment with little vegetation. An arid environment would promote the evaporation of seawater, producing gypsum, the most common rock type at in the mine. Freshwater influx into the brine would halt gypsum precipitation and allow clays to be deposited

two posters

TOC, C/N, ´13C, and ´15N of Shales from the Mississippian Michigan Formation, Western Michigan Kayla A. Lockmiller and Patricia E. Videtich The Mississippian Michigan Formation, exposed in an abandoned gypsum mine in Wyoming, Michigan, is composed of very thick beds of gypsum interbedded with much thinner beds of siliciclastic-rich dolomite and shale. Samples of shale (15 total) from three cyclic units (unit 3, oldest; unit 1, youngest) exposed in the mine were collected. Each of the three beds of shale has a distinct appearance, especially that in unit 1, which is much thicker (mean, 1.0m), more brown in color, and more silt-rich than the gray shales in units 2 (mean thickness, 0.3m) and 3. Proxies [total organic carbon (TOC), carbon/total nitrogen (C/N) ratios, organic ´13C, and total ´15N] were used to help determine the depositional environment of the shales. To remove inorganic carbon for TOC and organic ´13C analyses, samples were treated with HCL. As others have also observed, acid-treatment consistently decreased the percent nitrogen in the samples. However, we did not see a consistent change in ´15N for acid-treated samples. Nevertheless, results of analyses for only untreated samples were used for all nitrogen proxies. Low percentages of TOC (0.20 - 0.51%) in our samples indicate low productivity of organic matter. C/N (3.98 8.50) and ´13C (-22.77 to -25.390 PDB) imply carbon input from mixed marine-derived water and freshwater sources, which supports a margined marine depositional environment as suggested by previous studies. On C/N versus ´13C plots, the data for units 1, 2, and 3 fall in three different fields. Unit 1 is most nearly characteristic of a freshwater source, and unit 2 is most typical of a marine source, which is consistent with field observations. ´15N (1.78 3.770) remains enigmatic; however, it may also indicate a mix of sources. The lack of terrestrial plant indicators suggests an arid environment with little vegetation. An arid environment would promote the evaporation of seawater, producing gypsum, the most common rock type in the mine. Freshwater influx into the brine would halt gypsum precipitation and allow clays to be deposited