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Cyanobacterial blooms in Alberta recreational waters

Description

Cyanobacteria (also referred to as blue-green algae) are common photosynthetic bacteria that live in surface waters. Under favorable conditions, such as warm water and high nutrient content, these... More ≫

Description

Cyanobacteria (also referred to as blue-green algae) are common photosynthetic bacteria that live in surface waters. Under favorable conditions, such as warm water and high nutrient content, these bacteria can form nuisance “blooms”. The presence of blooms in recreational water causes unpleasant aesthetics and exposure to some toxin-producing blooms may pose potential health risks. Contact with blooms can cause skin rashes and irritation, itchy eyes, and ear infections. Inhaling water may cause allergic-like reactions, runny noses or sore throats. Ingestion of toxins can cause a range of symptoms (e.g., hepatotoxic or neurotoxic effects, and even death). There has been increased public awareness as a result of research over the past 20 years, recent monitoring efforts, and increased public education on the topic. In 2009, Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services began seasonal monitoring for cyanobacterial blooms at high use recreational beaches. In 2019, beach operators took over...

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Chemical Monitoring in Local Foods: Mercury in Fish

Description

Mercury (Hg) enters the environment through natural processes and human activities. There are three forms of Hg: elemental (metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury salts and organic mercury... More ≫

Description

Mercury (Hg) enters the environment through natural processes and human activities. There are three forms of Hg: elemental (metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury salts and organic mercury compounds. Methylmercury (MeHg) is often formed from inorganic mercury during biological processes such as methylation by microorganisms in water and sediment. MeHg can accumulate in aquatic organisms including fish. People are exposed to very low levels of mercury in the air, water and food. Some people may be exposed to relatively higher levels of mercury by eating MeHg-containing fish. MeHg accumulates in the human body over time and because it is a known neurotoxin, it is necessary to limit human exposure to MeHg. To protect public health, Health Canada has proposed mercury guidelines and advisories for fish consumption based on total mercury (THg; all forms of Hg in a sample). This dataset was collected as part of long-term monitoring of mercury levels in various species of fish in Albertan...

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Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta - Trace Elements

Description

In rural Alberta, 90 per cent of people use private well water supplies for domestic use (e.g., drinking, cooking, bathing). Domestic well water systems are not regulated by the provincial or... More ≫

Description

In rural Alberta, 90 per cent of people use private well water supplies for domestic use (e.g., drinking, cooking, bathing). Domestic well water systems are not regulated by the provincial or federal governments. The Government of Alberta along with Alberta Health Services (AHS) provides water chemistry testing of private well water and information and advice on safe water for domestic purposes; however, it is the responsibility of well owners to ensure the quality and safety of their water supply. Water quality may be impacted by contamination from natural sources or human activities and cause noticeable aesthetic issues or potential health concerns. Water samples are collected and submitted by well owners through local AHS sites for analysis of routine chemistry and trace element parameters. Routine chemistry testing focuses on the suitability of the water for drinking and household use with two health-related parameters. For trace elements, testing used to be conducted only when...

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Swan Hills Treatment Center: PCBs and PCDD/F in wild game and fish tissue (1999-2014)

Description

The Swan Hills Treatment Centre (SHTC) is a facility for the safe disposal of special wastes located approximately 12 km northeast of the town of Swan Hills, AB. On October 16, 1996, a malfunction... More ≫

Description

The Swan Hills Treatment Centre (SHTC) is a facility for the safe disposal of special wastes located approximately 12 km northeast of the town of Swan Hills, AB. On October 16, 1996, a malfunction of a transformer furnace was discovered to have caused the release of a portion of process gases containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) into the ambient air. These chemicals can be harmful to human health. Therefore, in 1997 Alberta Health (AH) conducted a human health risk assessment study to estimate human exposure and to evaluate the effectiveness of public health interventions. As a result of the study, food consumption advice for wild game and fish taken within a 30 km radius of the facility were issued out of concern that PCBs and PCDD/Fs were accumulating in these locally caught foods. A long-term environmental monitoring and human exposure assessment program has been ongoing since 1998 to monitor concentrations of...

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Lacombe Stormwater Pond Dataset

Description

Stormwater ponds are artificial structures that are critical components of stormwater management systems in many Canadian cities. They serve to prevent flooding of urban areas during excess... More ≫

Description

Stormwater ponds are artificial structures that are critical components of stormwater management systems in many Canadian cities. They serve to prevent flooding of urban areas during excess rainfall. Stormwater ponds also contribute to environmental health by allowing the settlement of dirt and solids from stormwater to the bottom of the pond. As a result, the sediments of stormwater ponds can become enriched with potentially harmful contaminants. The health risks posed to anglers by contact with stormwater and sediments and consumption of fish from stormwater ponds are not well characterized. The City of Lacombe (Alberta) is a municipality with two stormwater ponds stocked with sterile fish for angling. Alberta Health collected water, sediment and fish from these two ponds over two seasons (fall 2010 and spring 2011) and analyzed the samples for a suite of contaminants. Water samples were collected from three sites at each pond and three depths for each site (n=40; nine samples...

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Alberta Biomonitoring Program: Chemicals in Serum of Pregnant Women and Children in Alberta

Description

Biomonitoring provides a measure of internal doses of environmental chemicals or agents and allows for a more accurate measure of human health risk from these chemical exposures. Information... More ≫

Description

Biomonitoring provides a measure of internal doses of environmental chemicals or agents and allows for a more accurate measure of human health risk from these chemical exposures. Information presented in these Alberta Biomonitoring Program datasets were collected as part of two province-wide biomonitoring studies investigating the serum concentrations of a variety of environmental chemicals (both natural and synthetic) in pregnant women in northern, central, and southern Alberta (Phase 1) and in children in southern Alberta (Phase 2). The goals of the Alberta Biomonitoring Program are to create a benchmark against which to track future exposures, to provide a starting point for assessing health risks, to indicate possible exposure sources and to prioritize research efforts. Chemicals targeted for monitoring in this program were selected using expert guidance and reviewing similar studies conducted by other agencies. Each column represents a single chemical that was included for...

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Multiple chemical sensitivity : literature review and state of the science : summary

Description

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a complex, chronic health condition associated with numerous symptoms, linked to low-level exposure to one or more chemicals. Significant gaps exist in the... More ≫

Description

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a complex, chronic health condition associated with numerous symptoms, linked to low-level exposure to one or more chemicals. Significant gaps exist in the scientific understanding of MCS. Variability in observed symptoms and subsequent clinical diagnoses limit the certainty of population prevalence estimates. Alberta Health commissioned a literature review from a consultancy in the fields of toxicology and environmental assessment to understand the current state of science related to MCS.

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Multiple chemical sensitivity : literature review and state of the science

Description

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a complex, chronic health condition associated with numerous symptoms, linked to low-level exposure to one or more chemicals. Significant gaps exist in the... More ≫

Description

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a complex, chronic health condition associated with numerous symptoms, linked to low-level exposure to one or more chemicals. Significant gaps exist in the scientific understanding of MCS. Variability in observed symptoms and subsequent clinical diagnoses limit the certainty of population prevalence estimates. Alberta Health commissioned a literature review from a consultancy in the fields of toxicology and environmental assessment to understand the current state of science related to MCS.

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Guidance on human health risk assessment for environmental impact assessment in Alberta. Version 2

Description

Environmental assessment is a key element of Alberta's process for the review and approval of new major industrial projects. The process requires the preparation of an environmental impact... More ≫

Description

Environmental assessment is a key element of Alberta's process for the review and approval of new major industrial projects. The process requires the preparation of an environmental impact assessment report, which includes information on the potential human health impacts of the proposed project. The primary objective of this document is to provide general guidance for the completion of a Human Health Risk Assessment as part of an environmental impact assessment, with the overall goal of ensuring quality, consistency and completeness of risk assessments conducted in Alberta.

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2019 fish consumption guidance : mercury in fish

Description

This technical report was prepared to provide summary information about the fish consumption advice available for Alberta water bodies and to present new data collected from 2013 to 2016... More ≫

Description

This technical report was prepared to provide summary information about the fish consumption advice available for Alberta water bodies and to present new data collected from 2013 to 2016 (inclusive) along with attendant advice. The information in this report may be of interest to researchers, public health professionals, or members of the public who are interested in fish consumption advice in Alberta and want additional information. This document has been produced using methods described in past reports – as such, the information contained herein is a summary of available data related to mercury in fish and human health advice.

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