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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 exposures. In these Alberta... More ≫

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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 exposures. In these Alberta Biomonitoring Program datasets, information was collected as part of 3 province-wide studies investigating the serum levels of environmental chemicals (both natural and synthetic) in pregnant women in northern, central and southern Alberta (Phase 1), in children in southern Alberta (Phase 2), and maternal and umbilical cord blood samples from 7 Alberta cities (Phase 3). The goals of the program are to create a benchmark against which to track future exposures, provide a starting point for assessing health risks, indicate possible exposure sources and prioritize research efforts. Chemicals targeted for monitoring were selected using expert guidance and review of similar studies. For Phases 1 and 2, results for each chemical are presented in a single column, as either whole serum or lipid-adjusted...

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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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Greenhouse gas emissions by municipality

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Amount of CO2-equivalent emissions from facilities emitting over 10kt, as required by Canada's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, by year and municipality or municipal district. CO2 equivalent is a... More ≫

Description

Amount of CO2-equivalent emissions from facilities emitting over 10kt, as required by Canada's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, by year and municipality or municipal district. CO2 equivalent is a term for describing different green house gases (like methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, etc.) in a common unit. The CO2 equivalent would signify the amount of CO2 required to have a equivalent greenhouse effect.

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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 ≫

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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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2016 MAML Horse River Wildfire Hourly Data

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Hourly data collected by Alberta Environment and Parks using a mobile atmospheric monitoring laboratory (MAML) as part of emergency response monitoring during the 2016 Horse River Wildfire.

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2018-19 Ambient environment monitoring plan for oil sands development

Description

Summaries for projects approved under the 2018-2019 Ambient Environment Monitoring Plan for Oil Sands Development. Summaries include a brief description of the monitoring activity, objectives,... More ≫

Description

Summaries for projects approved under the 2018-2019 Ambient Environment Monitoring Plan for Oil Sands Development. Summaries include a brief description of the monitoring activity, objectives, assigned budget, key outcomes, geographic scope, and associated data and reporting products. Projects approved for implementation in 2018-2019 continue monitoring activities implemented since 2012 through the 2012-2015 Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring (OSM).

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Technical guidance for the assessment of additionality

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This provides specific guidance to stakeholders when assessing the additionality of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or sequestration of GHGs under the Alberta emission offset system. In... More ≫

Description

This provides specific guidance to stakeholders when assessing the additionality of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or sequestration of GHGs under the Alberta emission offset system. In order to demonstrate the additionality of the activities that are included or proposed to be included in the development or revision of an emission offset quantification protocol, the use of the tools contained in this technical guidance is a requirement for both the Alberta Climate Change Office and stakeholders. This document explains both the roles each of these parties play, and the process used for reviewing and assessing additionality during protocol development or revision.

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