Publications

Wood Buffalo Environmental Association Human Exposure Monitoring Program : 2006 monitoring year results

Description

This report summarizes the results of the second year of an ongoing community exposure and health effects assessment program undertaken in the Wood Buffalo region of north eastern Alberta. While... More ≫

Description

This report summarizes the results of the second year of an ongoing community exposure and health effects assessment program undertaken in the Wood Buffalo region of north eastern Alberta. While the Wood Buffalo region enjoys good air quality most of the time, increased industrial activity and subsequent population growth has raised people's awareness about air quality and quality of life in the region. In response to this, the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA) has established a Human Exposure Monitoring Program (HEMP) in the Wood Buffalo region. Supported by scientific and technical assistance from Alberta Health and Wellness, the monitoring results for 2006 are presented in this report.

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Assessment of the potential lifetime cancer risks associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic among indigenous people living in the Wood Buffalo region of Alberta

Description

The toxicity of arsenic is a subject of considerable research, as well as some controversy, particularly in relation to its potential to cause cancer. In order to better understand and assess the... More ≫

Description

The toxicity of arsenic is a subject of considerable research, as well as some controversy, particularly in relation to its potential to cause cancer. In order to better understand and assess the significance of the elevated cancer risk from arsenic exposure, Alberta Health and Wellness retained Cantox Environmental Inc. (CEI) to review previous research and assess the potential cancer risk using refined methodology consistent with that typically used by CEI. The work was meant to serve as a “second opinion” of the lifetime cancer risk that could be presented to people living in the Wood-Buffalo region from arsenic exposure.

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The Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program : methods report

Description

The Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program was designed to assess exposure and associated health effects by direct measurement of personal exposure, direct... More ≫

Description

The Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program was designed to assess exposure and associated health effects by direct measurement of personal exposure, direct measurement of biomarkers, and daily logs of a participant's activities. The study was modeled after the Total Exposure Assessment Method (TEAM) approach developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The TEAM approach is based on four fundamental characteristics: direct measurement of all routes of exposure (breathing, ingestion, and skin contact), direct measurement of biomarkers, daily logs of a participant’s activities, and a representative probability sample.

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The Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program : technical report

Description

Over the past few decades, emphasis has been placed on environmental toxicology and modeling of pollutant fate and transport in the environment to deal with human health concerns. Sources of... More ≫

Description

Over the past few decades, emphasis has been placed on environmental toxicology and modeling of pollutant fate and transport in the environment to deal with human health concerns. Sources of pollution such as stack emissions, industrial effluents, and toxic wastes are being monitored and are reasonably well understood. However, at the time of this report human exposure to contaminants from all pathways (air, food, drinking water, and direct skin contact) is largely unknown. Several countries, as well as the World Health Organization, are implementing exposure and health effects assessment approaches to address human health concerns related to environmental and other factors. This document describes an application of the approach in Alberta to assess human exposure to contaminants from oil sands industrial activity.

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The Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program : summary report

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This report provides an overview of the Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program Main Study. The report describes the population and personal distribution of... More ≫

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This report provides an overview of the Alberta Oil Sands Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Program Main Study. The report describes the population and personal distribution of exposure to airborne chemicals and particulates in the city of Fort McMurray. Using a personal exposure model, the relative contribution of various exposure sources and pathways to airborne chemicals is estimated and associations between exposure to airborne chemicals and human health effects are described.

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