Snow, Oil Sands Region

Atmospheric Contaminant Deposition using Snowpack



The data set includes snow samples (metals, water chemistry and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]). Data from 2012-2014 snowpack samples collected from ~90-130 sites located varying distances from the major oil sands development area show deposition patterns and levels consistent with earlier studies carried out in 2008 (Kelly et al. PNAS, 2009 and 2010). As with earlier findings, concentrations of numerous metals, water chemistry parameters (Ni, Pb, Zn, V, La, Al, Fe, total Hg, methyl Hg, total suspended solids [TSS], particulate organic carbon [POC], particulate organic nitrogen [PON], total phosphorus [TP]) and PAHs decrease with distance from the major mining extraction and upgrading facilities. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) guidelines do not exist for snow.



All data are subjects of a publication containing method details, full QA/QC, interpretations and conclusions. Citations:



A. Dastoor, A. Ryjkov, G. Kos, J. Zhang, J.L. Kirk, M. Parsons, A. Steffen. 2021. Impact of Athabasca oil sands operations on mercury levels in air and deposition. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 21, 12783-12807.



L. Chibwe, D.C.G. Muir, Y. Gopalapillai, D. Shang, F. Yang, J.L. Kirk, C. Manzano, B. Atkinson, X. Wang, C. Teixeira. 2021. Long-term spatial and temporal trends, and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic compounds in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. Environmental Pollution 268A, 115351.



J. Culp, I. Droppo, P. di Cenzo, A. Alexander-Trusiak, D. Baird, S. Beltaos, G. Bickerton, B. Bonsal, R. Brua, P. Chambers, Y. Dibike, N. Glozier, J.L. Kirk, L. Levesque, M. McMaster, D.C.G. Muir, J. Parrott, D. Peters, K. Pippy, J. Roy. 2021. Ecological effects and causal synthesis of oil sands activity impacts on river ecosystems: water synthesis review. Environmental Reviews 29. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2020-0082.



Y. Gopalapillai, J. L. Kirk, M.S. Landis, D.C.G. Muir, C.A. Cooke, C.A., A. Gleason, A. Ho, E. Kelly, D. Schindler, X. Wang, G. Lawson. 2019. Source analysis of pollutant elements in winter air deposition in the Athabasca oil sands region: A Temporal and Spatial Study. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 38, 1656-1668.



W. Wasiuta, J.L. Kirk, P.A. Chambers, A.C. Alexander, F.R. Wyatt, R.C. Rooney, C.A. Cooke. 2019. Accumulating mercury and methylmercury burdens in watersheds impacted by oil sands pollution. Environmental Science & Technology 53, 12856-12864.



C. Manzano, D. Muir, J. L. Kirk, C. Teixeira, M. Siu, X. Wang, J.P. Charland, D. Schindler, E. Kelly. 2016. Temporal variation in the deposition of polycyclic aromatic compounds in snow in the Athabasca Oil Sands area of Alberta. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 188, 542.



and



J.L. Kirk, D. Muir, A. Gleason, X, Wang, R. Frank, I. Lehnherr, F. Wrona. 2014. Atmospheric deposition of mercury and methyl mercury to landscapes and waterbodies of the Athabasca oil sands region. Environmental Science & Technology 48, 73747383.

Basic view

Metadata Record Information

File Identifier
be1548e5-17cf-4013-83bc-19474ff24c42 XML
Date Stamp
2026-02-23T14:50:08.359Z
Metadata language

eng; CAN
Character set
UTF8
Hierarchy Level
Dataset
Point of contact
  Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Science and Technology Branch / Water Science and Technology / Aquatic Contaminants Research Division - ACRD Data Management Team

867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada
 

Data identification

Title

Snow, Oil Sands Region
Date (Publication)
2015-07-08
Date (Creation)
2014-01-29
Date (Revision)
2016-04-07
Date (Revision)
2026-02-23
Status
On going
Metadata language

eng; CAN
Character set
UTF8
Topic category
  • Environment
Maintenance and Update Frequency
As needed
Spatial representation type
Text, table
Point of contact
  Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Science and Technology Branch / Water Science and Technology / Aquatic Contaminants Research Division - Dr. Jane Kirk ( Research scientist)

867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada

Keywords

Theme

  • oil sands, monitoring, atmospheric deposition, contaminant, fate and transport, monitoring, polycyclic aromatic compound, metals, mercury, methylmercury, snowpack, Athabasca, river, basin, near-field, far-field, Fort McMurray

  • Observation/Measurement

Government of Canada Core Subject Thesaurus

  • Snow

  • Oil sands

ECCC Information Category EN

  • Water - Quality

Business Functions

  • Assess Toxicity, Manage and Monitor for Environmental Presence of Hazardous Substances and Waste

  • Monitor / Assess Substance and Waste Levels in Air, Water, Soil, Biota

Geography

  • Prairie - Saskatchewan (SK)

  • Prairie - Alberta (AB)

  • Territories - Northwest Territories (NT)

Branch

  • Science and Technology Branch

Directorate

  • Water Science and Technology

Environment Canada - Program

  • 1.3.2. Ecosystem Assessment and Approaches

GC Security Level

  • Unclassified
 
Use Limitation

Open Government Licence - Canada ( http://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada)

Access Constraints
License
Use Constraints
License
Begin Date
2012-01-02

Extent

N
S
E
W
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Ref. system Reference Systems

Reference system identifier
EPSG / EPSG:4326 /
 

Distribution

Distributor
  Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada - Public inquiries centre

Fontaine Building 12th floor, 200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd., Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0H3, Canada
1-800-668-6767

https://www.canada.ca
 
 

Overviews

overview
Snow and Wet Precipitation

thumbnail

Keywords

Observation/Measurement oil sands, monitoring, atmospheric deposition, contaminant, fate and transport, monitoring, polycyclic aromatic compound, metals, mercury, methylmercury, snowpack, Athabasca, river, basin, near-field, far-field, Fort McMurray
Branch

Science and Technology Branch
Business Functions

Assess Toxicity, Manage and Monitor for Environmental Presence of Hazardous Substances and Waste Monitor / Assess Substance and Waste Levels in Air, Water, Soil, Biota
Directorate

Water Science and Technology
ECCC Information Category EN

Water - Quality
Environment Canada - Program

1.3.2. Ecosystem Assessment and Approaches
GC Security Level

Unclassified
Government of Canada Core Subject Thesaurus

Oil sands Snow


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