Air Quality: Air Quality Summary

A Provincial Prospective

Newfoundland and Labrador
Ground level ozone (smog) is not as large a problem in Newfoundland and Labrador as it is in other provinces such as the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario. However, while smog is generally found around larger Canadian cities, prevailing winds and weather patterns can push this health hazard over long distances and into Atlantic Canada.

Maritimes
Smog can be quite problematic in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI. In many instances, smog levels are higher than the current national standard. The federal government estimates that 7 percent of the national total of particulate matter is generated in the Maritime region. Particulate matter is a serious health concern, as it can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, causing difficulty breathing and other respiratory ailments.

Quebec
Smog is one of the leading air quality issues in Quebec, and not surprisingly the highest incidents of smog in the province occur on hot, sunny afternoons during the months of June, July and August. The amount of particulate matter in the air has also increased since the devastating Ice Storm of 1998, when many residents purchased wood burning stoves.

Ontario
During the summer months, Ontario is home to the "smog capital" of Canada: the city of Windsor in the southwest. As for the city of Toronto, smog is not the only concern for residents during the summer. Other pollutants contributing to the city's and Ontario's air quality problem include particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and toxic pollutants such as benzene and furans. In Ontario, air pollution originates from a variety of resources, with one of the main sources being vehicle emissions. Industrial sources of pollution include combustion processes such as fossil fuel-fired power generation and industrial processes for iron and steel, chemical processing and petroleum refining. And as in Quebec, residential wood stoves are a source of pollution in Ontario.

Manitoba
Air quality problems in Manitoba tend to be more local in nature. Sources of air pollution include industrial operations, emissions from vehicles and man-made materials that are released into the atmosphere.

Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, the main focus towards cleaner air is on particulate matter. Dust from wind erosion of soils and smoke from the burning of crop stubble and residues are mainly to blame for this particulate matter. Most of the electricity in Saskatchewan is produced through coal burning. As a result, Saskatchewan, on a per capita basis, comes in second to Alberta for carbon dioxide emissions.

Alberta
As the main source for oil and natural gas in Canada, Alberta is a source for several of the major pollutants in the air. Approximately 30% of the carbon and 26% of the nitrogen oxide created in Canada comes from Alberta. In addition, the province emits 23% of Canada's sulphur oxides into the atmosphere. Environment Canada along with the Province of Alberta has already taken steps towards monitoring these pollutants and reducing the amount that is released into the atmosphere.

British Columbia
Air quality is an issue in several areas of British Columbia. Smog and haze have become a problem in both the Lower Fraser Valley and the Southern Okanagan as a result of an increase in urban development and transportation. In other areas of the province, particulate matter is a serious problem. Among the factors contributing to increased levels of particulate matter are resource-based industries and residential wood burning.

Yukon
In the Yukon, problems with air quality can be attributed to higher levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide in areas such as Whitehorse. These pollutants thrive during the cold weather inversion episodes and can be attributed to residential wood burning and motor vehicles.

Northwest Territories and Nunavut
In Northern Canada, the focus on air quality centres on the long-range transportation of what are known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These pollutants are carried up into the Northwest Territories and Nunavut via air currents from around the world. The movement of air currents in the Northern Hemisphere is such that the air gravitates towards the Arctic and eventually carries pollutants into Northern Canada. Subsequently, these pollutants become trapped in the cold temperatures and can enter the food chain. Local sources of air pollution in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut include electrical power generation from diesel engines, motor vehicle emissions and dust from gravel roads.