Publications

Air quality monitoring the neighbourhood of Calder, Edmonton : winter, summer 2004 and winter 2005 : final report

Description

Residents of the Calder neigbourhood in Edmonton had concerns with diesel fume impacts on the air quality in the area resulting from a Canadian National rail yard located just south of the... More ≫

Description

Residents of the Calder neigbourhood in Edmonton had concerns with diesel fume impacts on the air quality in the area resulting from a Canadian National rail yard located just south of the neighbourhood. Alberta Environment conducted mobile air monitoring surveys in the winter and summer of 2004 and the winter of 2005. In general, pollutant concentrations in the neighbourhood were not significantly different from concentrations measured at the comparison stations outside the Calder neighbourhood.

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Occurrence and prevalence of chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in amphibian species of Alberta

Description

Infectious diseases are one of a suite of factors implicated in the declines and extinctions of amphibians worldwide. One such disease, chytridiomycosis, is caused by the chytrid fungus... More ≫

Description

Infectious diseases are one of a suite of factors implicated in the declines and extinctions of amphibians worldwide. One such disease, chytridiomycosis, is caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Chytrid fungus was discovered in Alberta in 1999 from necropsies of several specimens of boreal toads and northern leopard frogs collected near Caroline. In late 2006, a pilot-study was conducted to determine whether Bd was present at northern leopard frog sites in southern Alberta. The detection of Bd at multiple sites, and in a provincially Threatened species, led to the expansion of Bd surveillance to other areas of the province, and to other amphibian species between 2007 and 2010. The results, reported in this study, provide a base-line for the occurrence and prevalence of Bd in Alberta. This information is required for the effective conservation and management of a broad suite of amphibian species, many of which are of high conservation concern in Alberta.

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Assessment report on arsenic for developing ambient air quality objectives : 2011 update

Description

Ambient air quality objectives are established as part of the Alberta air quality management system. The purpose of this assessment report was to provide a review of scientific and technical... More ≫

Description

Ambient air quality objectives are established as part of the Alberta air quality management system. The purpose of this assessment report was to provide a review of scientific and technical information to assist in evaluating the basis and background for an ambient air quality objective for arsenic. Arsenic and its compounds are used in a number of applications and industrial processes. Chrome copper arsenate is used as a wood preservative. Other uses of arsenic and its compounds include the manufacturing of glass, metallurgy, the manufacturing of gallium arsenide for the electronics industry and some medical applications. In Alberta, the power and electrical utilities sector as well as the wood industry (wood preserving) contribute to arsenic emissions.

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Assessment report on acrolein for developing ambient air quality objectives

Description

Ambient air quality objectives are established as part of the Alberta air quality management system. The purpose of this assessment report was to provide a review of scientific and technical... More ≫

Description

Ambient air quality objectives are established as part of the Alberta air quality management system. The purpose of this assessment report was to provide a review of scientific and technical information to assist in evaluating the basis and background for an ambient air quality objective for acrolein. Acrolein is a reactive unsaturated aldehyde that exists as a highly volatile clear or yellow liquid. The largest commercial use of acrolein is as a biocide for aquatic environments, specifically for eradicating floating aquatic weeds or bacteria in produced water. In Alberta, acrolein has also been used to scavenge hydrogen sulphide from produced fluid in petroleum operations.

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Mechanisms for the alignment of air quality planning

Description

This report reviews the history of airshed formation in Alberta and surveys airshed air quality planning approaches used in selected jurisdictions. The report also provides information on air... More ≫

Description

This report reviews the history of airshed formation in Alberta and surveys airshed air quality planning approaches used in selected jurisdictions. The report also provides information on air quality planning alignment mechanisms, which will be useful in delineation of air zones in Alberta under the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment's Air Quality Management System, and in alignment of Alberta airsheds and land-use regions in the Alberta Land-use Framework.

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Potential for gas migration due to coalbed methane development

Description

Coalbed gas (CBG) effectively consists of methane with minor amounts of ethane and propane, but no hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Recognition of CBG as an increasingly important energy resource has led... More ≫

Description

Coalbed gas (CBG) effectively consists of methane with minor amounts of ethane and propane, but no hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Recognition of CBG as an increasingly important energy resource has led to rapid expansion of exploration activity. Rapid development started in the 1980s in the western United States of America (USA), and has spread over the last six years to the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Increased production activities have brought increased awareness of environmental issues surrounding CBG development. In particular, reports of negative experiences associated with early CBG development in the USA have raised stakeholder concerns in Canada. Alberta CBG development has largely avoided the water resources issues experienced in the USA from CBG exploitation for two reasons. The major CBG resource plays in Canada to date have been in ‘dry’ coals, while ‘wet’ CBG coals developed in the USA required dewatering in order to recover the gas. Secondly, the rapid...

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Pilot study to evaluate the practicality of aquatic ecosystem monitoring in small agricultural streams in Alberta

Description

The intent of this pilot study on Rose and Strawberry creeks and the Blindman River was to scope out the feasibility of adding sediment and non-fish biota to the AESA water quality monitoring and... More ≫

Description

The intent of this pilot study on Rose and Strawberry creeks and the Blindman River was to scope out the feasibility of adding sediment and non-fish biota to the AESA water quality monitoring and to make a preliminary evaluation of the data. Collection of field data, invertebrate samples (kick nets), epilithic algae and sediment quality sampling in the three streams was practical. Benthic invertebrate and epilithic algal communities were diverse and abundant and offer good potential for future monitoring, along with water and sediment chemistry. Defining reference conditions ecoregionally would be important in future aquatic ecosystem health monitoring and data interpretation.

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Development of an aquatic pesticide toxicity index for use in Alberta

Description

This report describes the development and application of an index to assess potential toxicity risk to aquatic life of co-occurring pesticides in surface waters. The index utilizes ambient... More ≫

Description

This report describes the development and application of an index to assess potential toxicity risk to aquatic life of co-occurring pesticides in surface waters. The index utilizes ambient pesticide concentrations measured as part of Alberta Environment monitoring and published acute toxicity endpoints determined in laboratory tests.

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Assessment report on nitrogen dioxide for developing ambient air quality objectives

Description

Ambient air quality objectives are established as part of the Alberta air quality management system. The purpose of this assessment report was to provide a review of scientific and technical... More ≫

Description

Ambient air quality objectives are established as part of the Alberta air quality management system. The purpose of this assessment report was to provide a review of scientific and technical information to assist in evaluating the basis and background for an ambient air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide is an irritating gas with an acrid, pungent odour. It is corrosive, highly oxidizing and non-combustible. It can be released directly to the atmosphere but is often produced by the conversion of nitric oxide released from combustion processes. In the presence of sunlight, nitrogen dioxide can lead to the formation of ozone, nitric acid and nitrate-containing respirable particles.

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Summary report on the initial assessment of ecological health of aquatic ecosystems in Alberta : water quality, sediment quality and non-fish biota

Description

This is a technical summary of a provincial-scale initial assessment of aquatic ecosystem health. It is based on water and sediment quality and non-fish biota information for major rivers, a... More ≫

Description

This is a technical summary of a provincial-scale initial assessment of aquatic ecosystem health. It is based on water and sediment quality and non-fish biota information for major rivers, a selection of tributaries and streams in Alberta. It provides an overview of current knowledge for major basins, an initial assessment of aquatic ecosystem health based on published information, and it identifies gaps and provides recommendations for future more comprehensive monitoring.

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