Air pollution from Canada's tar sands is much worse than we thought

Enlarge / Air see of THE Athabasca oil sands close Strong McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Bloomberg Creative via Getty

Canada tar sands to have won infamy For be A of THE of the world most polluted sources of oil, THANKS has THE big the amounts of energy And water to use required For their extraction. A new study said THE operations are Also emitting far upper levels of A range of air pollutants that previously known, with consequences For communities life close And far downwind.

THE research, published THURSDAY In Science, took direct measurements of organic carbon broadcasts Since plane flying above THE tar the sands, Also called oil the sands, And find levels that were 20 has 64 times upper that What companies were report. Total organic carbon understand A wide range of compounds, a few of which can contribute directly has dangerous air pollution locally And others that can react In THE atmosphere has form little particles matter, Or MP 2.5, A dangerous pollutant that can journey long distances And lodge deep In THE lungs.

THE study find that tar sands operations were release as a lot of these pollutants as all other man-made sources In Canada combined. For certain Classes of heavy organic compounds, which are more likely has form particles downwind, THE concentrations were upper that what is this in general find In big metropolises as The bone Angeles.

"THE absolute magnitude of those broadcasts were A plot upper that What We expected," said John Ligio, A research scientist has Environment And Climate Change Canada, THE the nation environmental regulatory agency, And A co-author on THE study. Researchers has Yale University Also contributed.

Seth Shonkoff, executive director of EPS In good health Energy, A independent scientist research institute In California, WHO was not implied In THE study, said THE results suggest air pollution Since tar sands operations East more damaging has people health that previously known.

"I In fact could barely believe What I was while reading," Shonkoff said of THE new study.

On THE last decade, A growth body of research has examined broadcasts of different air pollutants Since oil And gas operations through THE United States And Canada, And a lot of that has watch that industry estimates tender has undercount what is this be released, he said. "But THE ladder of This divergence East very surprising. »

Brand Cameron, vice president of external reports has THE Lanes Alliance, A oil sands industry band, said In A E-mail that THE results to guarantee further goodbye And that "THE oil sands industry measures broadcasts using standards together by Environment And Climate Change Canada And We look Before has functioning together has explore opportunities has further improve OUR the measure practice. »

Paul Horn, Inside Climate News

Canada oil sands stretchable through A big area of north Alberta And are A of THE of the world the biggest deposits of raw. Canada East THE the biggest source of oil imports has THE United States And most of that oil come Since THE oil sands.

THE deposits TO DO not technically socket raw oil, but instead A heavier hydrocarbon called bitumen, which must be heated And treaty In order has form A liquid that can be channeled And refined as oil. That process requires sprawling industrial operations of open ditch the mines, constantly growing waste ponds And similar to a refinery “improvers.” THE waste ponds to have laundry toxic chemical products In groundwater, And A heavy, sulfurous stench often settles down on THE region. THE mining to have bare far A area bigger that New York City, land that had long has been busy by people Since several Native First of all Nations. A of those First of all Nations, Strong McKay, East NOW surrounded by mines.

Jeans L'Hommecourt, A registered member of THE Strong McKay First of all Nation WHO has fought has to do the housework up tar sand...