One study found that 12% of Alberta's forests’ soils are over their acid carrying capacity. The majority of these pollutants are released through human activities, such as transportation, the burning of fuels for electricity and heating, and a variety of industrial activities. [45], Health Canada estimates that 5,900 Canadians die every year from air pollution. [24] The overarching purpose of the Agreement is to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters". Data are grouped to report on the sources that contribute the majority of emissions for each pollutant. [3] Additionally, it was found that heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (smog precursors) were at lower levels in 2010 than in 1990. Volatile organic compound emissions by province and territory, Canada, 1990 and 2017. In 2017, the oil and gas industry was the sector contributing the most to total national emissions of VOCs. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2019) Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory. Almost one third of Canadians live near a major road—and this means they go about their everyday lives exposed to a complex mixture of vehicle air pollutants. In-house emission estimates are calculated with information such as production data and activity data, using various estimation methodologies and emission models. Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons are not considered volatile organic compounds. Retrieved on June 28, 2019. Note: The indicator reports air pollutant emissions from human activities only. [29] Advocacy group Ecojustice estimates overall raw sewage dumping in Canada to be around 200 billion litres a year. Under the Act, owners or operators of facilities that manufacture, process or otherwise use or release one or more of the substances tracked by the inventory, and meet substance-specific reporting thresholds and other requirements, must report their pollutant releases, disposals and transfers annually to the department. "Passenger light trucks" include light-duty trucks powered by motor gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas engines. The GAIA air quality monitoring stations are using high-tech laser particle sensors to measure in real-time PM2.5 pollution, which is one of the most harmful air pollutants. Thank you for taking your time to send in your valued opinion to Science X editors. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2019) Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory. Together, these data sources provide a comprehensive overview of pollutant emissions across Canada. Note: The percentages have been rounded off and their sum may not add up to 100. Nitrogen dioxide can have adverse effects on human health and the environment. Some of the most prominent are cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, dysentery, skin infections, and stomach infections. The data from these facilities is provided by the operators of the facilities as mandated by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (the Act). Retrieved on January 25, 2019. Emissions data from Canada's national inventories are used to produce the indicators for the 6 key air pollutants. The National Pollutant Release Inventory provides detailed information on air pollutant emissions from industrial and commercial facilities that meet its reporting criteria.. Canada's Black Carbon Emissions Inventory has undergone a number of recalculations of emissions estimates. The map allows you to explore VOC emissions from individual facilities. February 12, 2019 version. [8] In recent years progress has been made in reducing acid rain, however, Alberta's oil sands may soon set back this progress. The Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory and the Black Carbon Emissions Inventory provide data and estimates on releases of air pollutants from human activities. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2019) Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory. SOx and NOX are mostly emitted from power plants burning fossil fuels such as coal and, to a lesser extent, natural gas and diesel. Note: "Passenger cars and motorcycles" include cars powered by motor gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas engines as well as all types of motorcycles. Recalculations of previously reported emission estimates are common for both in-house estimates and facility-reported emission data. It can be poisonous if inhaled in great quantities and is irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat. Note: Fine particulate matter, sulphur oxides and ammonia are not shown in the chart due to their low share (≤ 5%) of total emissions in 2017. For both provinces, dust and fires were the largest sources of emissions, with home firewood burning (for example, woodstoves and fireplaces) being the second-largest source. [1] A recent report found that Canadian companies contributed 73% more to air pollution than companies in the United States. [4] According to a 2009 study, Alberta’s oil sands are one of the major causes of air pollution in Canada. "We don't know yet what the health impacts of these particles are but we do know that near roads, they are a good indicator of exposure to traffic pollution.". It does not include emissions from natural sources such as forest fires and from vegetation. While transportation (road, rail, air and marine) was the main contributor of NOX, it was also the sector that experienced the largest reduction between 1990 and 2017. European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme / European Environment Agency (2013) EMEP/EEA Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Guidebook 2013. Tables 3 through 5 below show the alignment of air pollutant emission sources reported in the Air pollutant emissions indicators compared with those reported by the sectoral indicators. Total fine particulate matter emissions by source, Canada, 1990 to 2017. Emissions from other sources (12 kt), manufacturing (11 kt), and transportation (road, rail, air and marine) (8 kt) combined represented 6% of national emissions in 2017. Medical Xpress covers all medical research advances and health news, Tech Xplore covers the latest engineering, electronics and technology advances, Science X Network offers the most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web.