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This paper characterizes the unintended side-effects of sodium bisulfite (SBS) addition to the produced water that is utilized

in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAG ) for the purposes of bitumen recovery! SBS is added to the produced water at water treatment facilities to scavenge any dissolved o"ygen present in the pipeline system in order to prevent o"idative corrosion from occurring as SBS readily reacts with any dissolved o"ygen# $ %a&S'( ) '$ * $ %a&S'+ Three samples of the pipeline in ,uestion were obtained from failed sections- two that were downstream of the SBS addition point (.$/01 and .$/T1) and one in the vicinity of the bitumen recovery site (2/21)! Sample 2/21 was found to have high salt and bicarbonate concentrations but with no nitrate- nitrite- sulfate- sulfite or organic carbon sources for potential microbial respiration! This sample3s interior was found to be eroded but without the characteristic blac4 tar-li4e substance that indicated the ferrous iron precipitate that is usually associated with pipeline corrosion! As this section was close to the subsurface water inta4e point- possible causes for this erosion could be a result of impingement of suspended sand- cavitation by bubbles of gaseous 5'$ (formed when the water depressurizes at the surface) and carbon dio"ide corrosion! This is supported by the presence of sand and metallic iron in the pipe section that is consistent with possible sand abrasion of the iron surface! 6n comparison- the interiors of Sample .$/01 and .$/T1- downstream from the point of SBS additionwere found to contain sulfur and iron sulfide as ma7or components of the scale! 6t is thus reasonable to assume that these sulfur and iron sulfide components arose as a result of the in7ected SBS- and subse,uent microbial community analysis indicated that bacteria were li4ely involved in the formation of these scale components! 8pstream Sample 2/21 was observed to harbor a very high fraction of Methanobacteriaceae (92:) as well as of Desulfuromonas (;!.:)! The physiological function of the latter is un4nown- because no sulfur is present in the pipe scale at 2/21! The downstream samples also showed the presence of Methanobacteriaceae (+/:) but also of Desulfocapsa ((9:) and Desulfomicrobium (/.:) as ma7or community components! 8nli4e other sulfate-reducing bacteriaDesulfocapsa derives energy for growth from the disproportionation of sulfur- thiosulfate- or bisul<te to sul<de and sulfate- such as from the bisulfite in SBS! 'verall- the results indicated a large community shift as a result of the in7ection of SBS- with an increased presence of Deltaproteobacteria capable of reducing sulfate- sulfur- or polysul<de or of disproportionating sulfur and bisul<te- such as by the generas Desulfocapsa and Desulfomicrobium, ma7or microbial community components downstream of the SBS addition! As mentioned- Methanobacteriaceae archaea were found to compose a large fraction of the microbial community! As certain hydrogenotrophic methanogens are able to form methane from iron and and carbon dio"ide under anaerobic conditions- these microbes may have contributed to the corrosion of the pipeline as well! =urthermore- from the testing of various strains for their ability to utilize iron and carbon dio"ide- it was found that this ability of methanogens to o"idize iron is common! 6n conclusion- as iron corrosion was observed to increase downstream of the SBS in7ection point- this ,uestions the viability of SBS as an o"ygen-scavenging- corrosion-preventing agent due to it3s role in microbially mediated disproportionation of bisul<te and subse,uent sulfate reduction by bacteria! The coupling of iron corrosion and methane formation by methanogenic bacteria was also found to occurwith potential reprecussions! &ence- both methanogenic and sul<dogenic microbial communities were found to contribute to the corrosion of pipelines transporting these brac4ish waters with SBS in7ection strongly altering the microbial community! This study is thus of importance for the future of SAG mining and for proper water treatment!

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