Publications

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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Stormwater Ponds in Alberta: Health Guidance Information Sheet

Description

This information sheet describes important considerations around stormwater ponds and advises the public of the potential chemical and physical hazards that may be present.

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Alberta biomonitoring program : chemicals in serum of pregnant women in Alberta

Description

A comprehensive list of priority environmental contaminants were monitored in blood serum of pregnant women in 2005, with the purpose of establishing the magnitude of exposure to environmental... More ≫

Description

A comprehensive list of priority environmental contaminants were monitored in blood serum of pregnant women in 2005, with the purpose of establishing the magnitude of exposure to environmental contaminants during pregnancy for women living in all regions of Alberta. The objectives were specifically to examine the influence of age, geographic location, and seasonality on the maternal serum concentrations of man-made or naturally occurring chemicals that women may absorb from food, drinking water, air, soil, household dust, or commercial products. This is the first Province-wide biomonitoring study for Alberta.

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Chemicals in serum of children in southern Alberta (2004–2006) : influence of age and comparison to pregnant women

Description

A comprehensive list of priority environmental contaminants were monitored in blood serum of healthy children with the objective to examine the influence of age and to compare these new data with... More ≫

Description

A comprehensive list of priority environmental contaminants were monitored in blood serum of healthy children with the objective to examine the influence of age and to compare these new data with concentrations in pregnant women that were reported previously for the same region. In general, concentrations of detected contaminants were either lower or similar to concentrations reported in other studies of children in North America or around the world.

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Alberta safe beach protocol

Description

The Safe Beach Protocol was prepared to provide Albertans with a clear understanding of the management of recreational waters in the province. It provides information on the role of owners and... More ≫

Description

The Safe Beach Protocol was prepared to provide Albertans with a clear understanding of the management of recreational waters in the province. It provides information on the role of owners and operators in overseeing these sites, monitoring water quality and responding to health risks, with the support and commitment of provincial agencies. The information in this document may be of interest to policy makers, researchers, public health professionals, or members of the public who are interested in recreational water sites (beaches).

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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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Human health risks associated with surface water impacts after a wildfire : problem formulation

Description

Presents findings of a study to complete a problem formulation for human health risks associated with surface water impacts after a wildfire. The main goal of the work was to better understand and... More ≫

Description

Presents findings of a study to complete a problem formulation for human health risks associated with surface water impacts after a wildfire. The main goal of the work was to better understand and assess potential human health risks from the Horse River Wildfire on surface water bodies that serve as drinking and recreational water sources and apply learnings to future wildfires. Five recommendations are provided, including a review of facilities in Alberta that are most susceptible to wildfire associated surface water risk and generation of a small suite of key indicator compounds to help notify water users of the wildfire related impacts to water.

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Public health guidelines for non-municipal drinking water

Description

The Public Health Guidelines for Drinking Water are intended to provide clear direction and best practices for the management of drinking water in non-municipal drinking water systems not... More ≫

Description

The Public Health Guidelines for Drinking Water are intended to provide clear direction and best practices for the management of drinking water in non-municipal drinking water systems not regulated under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, and the transportation of drinking water. The guidelines encompass the assessment of microbial and chemical risks to drinking water, health based water quality targets, practices for source water protection and treatment and operation of the system, and operator knowledge.

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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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Alberta Air Quality Notification Protocol : what you need to know

Description

This information sheet provides information on how notification, assessment, and communication of air quality events occur in Alberta. It is also intended to increase public awareness about the... More ≫

Description

This information sheet provides information on how notification, assessment, and communication of air quality events occur in Alberta. It is also intended to increase public awareness about the Air Quality Notification Protocol and to encourage the public to sign up for Environment Canada’s EC Alert Me and WeatherCAN app, as well as the Government of Alberta’s Air Quality Health Index app.

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