Naphthenic Acid Mixtures from Oil Sands Process-Affected Water Enhance Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and Affect Development of the Heart

Extraction of petrochemicals from the surface mining of oil sand deposits results in generation of large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). Naphthenic acids (NA) are generally considered to be among the most toxic components of OSPW. Previous studies have shown that NAs are toxic to aquatic organisms, however knowledge of their effects on mammalian health and development is limited. In the present study, we evaluated the …