Residential Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality in Small Communities within the Oil Sands Developing Region of Northeastern Alberta

摘要

Fort McKay and Gregoire Lake are small communities located in northern Alberta in one of the world's largest petroleum resource basins - Canada's Athabasca oil sands. Three large surface mines, two extraction and refining facilities, and numerous in-situ extraction facilities currently operate in the region. The presence of these activities has raised concerns among their residents about community air quality. A study was undertaken in these communities in the fall of 2006 to assess the role of increased oil sand development activity during the past six years. One aspect of the study was to obtain indoor/outdoor VOC levels in these communities. Outdoor levels in Fort McKay and Gregoire Lake based on median concentrations of ten VOCs were very low compared to historical levels observed in a large urban center (Edmonton). This trend would be expected of small rural communities not influenced by major emission sources and activities. Both Fort McKay and Gregoire Lake are small (population <1,000) and largely free of the influences of motor vehicle traffic observed in large urban centers. Median outdoor VOC concentrations in Fort McKay in 1999 and in 2006 are essentially unchanged despite a 58% increase in actual oil sands production rates and associated mining, extraction and upgrading activities in proximity to the community. Emissions from oil sand and other development activities in the proximity to these two communities are too distant (far away) to have an influence on community air quality. With respect to indoor air quality in Fort McKay and Gregoire Lake, median indoor concentrations of ten VOCs were always greater than median indoor concentrations. In addition, indoor-outdoor ratios for all compounds were greater than one. These findings are not unexpected, and they confirm findings of similar studies undertaken elsewhere in Canada, the United States, and Europe. From a public health point-of-view, potential indoor VOC exposures continue to be more important for people living in these communities.