Are there increased levels of mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), or arsenic in water bodies or animals in the oil sands region?
The Athabasca River region is unique because of the naturally occurring oil sands that the river runs through. Sediment from the banks of the river are caught in the current and because of this, there are naturally occurring contaminants in the water. Data from the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program indicates no increase in concentrations of contaminants as oil sands development has progressed.
The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program also monitors polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) levels in the river. There is no doubt that PAHs are in the sediments downstream of the oil sands. This is due to the magnitude of the oily sand along the river banks through which the river has eroded naturally. PAH levels found in samples on other rivers in the area with absolutely no industrial oil sands activity have been found to be higher than samples taken downstream from oil sands developments. The sources in the area are natural.
There is evidence that PAH concentrations in delta sediments are lower in recent years than historically. This decrease is likely due to drier conditions in the last decade resulting in less erosion from these natural sources. Alberta Environment and Environment Canada are currently developing a research program to more fully address the impacts of these natural oil sands sediments on the ecology of Lake Athabasca and the delta.
Since Alberta Environment implemented trace analytical methods at our sampling stations we have seen that maximum concentrations of mercury are 8 parts per trillion prior to entering Lake Athabasca. The Alberta guideline, which is the most protective of any in North America, is 13 parts per trillion. To put it in perspective, a part per trillion is equivalent to one drop of detergent in enough water to fill a string of railroad tank cars 16 kilometres long.
For arsenic, all of the samples collected since 1990 have been below water guidelines. Alberta Health and Wellness has been actively sampling traditional foods in the area (e.g. wild meat) and found that arsenic concentrations in these were consistent with concentrations found elsewhere in Alberta and in the Yukon where there is no development.
Alberta Environment - Information Centre
The Athabasca River region is unique because of the naturally occurring oil sands that the river runs through. Sediment from the banks of the river are caught in the current and because of this, there are naturally occurring contaminants in the water. Data from the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program indicates no increase in concentrations of contaminants as oil sands development has progressed.
The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program also monitors polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) levels in the river. There is no doubt that PAHs are in the sediments downstream of the oil sands. This is due to the magnitude of the oily sand along the river banks through which the river has eroded naturally. PAH levels found in samples on other rivers in the area with absolutely no industrial oil sands activity have been found to be higher than samples taken downstream from oil sands developments. The sources in the area are natural.
There is evidence that PAH concentrations in delta sediments are lower in recent years than historically. This decrease is likely due to drier conditions in the last decade resulting in less erosion from these natural sources. Alberta Environment and Environment Canada are currently developing a research program to more fully address the impacts of these natural oil sands sediments on the ecology of Lake Athabasca and the delta.
Since Alberta Environment implemented trace analytical methods at our sampling stations we have seen that maximum concentrations of mercury are 8 parts per trillion prior to entering Lake Athabasca. The Alberta guideline, which is the most protective of any in North America, is 13 parts per trillion. To put it in perspective, a part per trillion is equivalent to one drop of detergent in enough water to fill a string of railroad tank cars 16 kilometres long.
For arsenic, all of the samples collected since 1990 have been below water guidelines. Alberta Health and Wellness has been actively sampling traditional foods in the area (e.g. wild meat) and found that arsenic concentrations in these were consistent with concentrations found elsewhere in Alberta and in the Yukon where there is no development.
Alberta Environment - Information Centre
