Air Pollution

Click each heading for more detailed information.

In addition to greenhouse gases, oilsands operations release large volumes of pollutants into the air.

• These emissions include nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter.1
• These chemicals are known to affect human health and contribute to air pollution problems.2

Producing a barrel of bitumen creates more than twice as much nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide emissions as producing a barrel of conventional oil.3

• Annual emissions from oilsands operations in 2006:4
  • 45,000 tonnes of nitrogen oxides
  • 115,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide
  • 74,000 tonnes of volatile organic compounds

Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are major contributors to acid rain formation.

• Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which are downwind from the oilsands operations, are highly sensitive to acid rain.5

Air pollutant concentration guidelines in Alberta are less stringent than internationally accepted standards.

• The Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAQO) are intended to provide protection of the environment and human health, while recognizing principles of sustainability that include environmental, social, and economic factors.6 
• In comparison with guidelines established by the World Health Organization, AAQOs permit higher concentrations of particulate matter, 1.5 times the hourly-average concentrations of NO₂, and over six times the daily-maximum concentrations for SO₂.7^,8

Even with the higher allowable concentrations in Alberta, the AAQOs were frequently exceeded by oilsands operators in recent years — with an increasing trend.

• According to a report, the air quality objectives were exceeded 1,556 times in 2009 in the Athabasca region, up from 47 times in 2004.9

updated April 2013

Footnotes

• 1. Royal Society of Canada, Environmental and Health Impacts of Canada’s Oil Sands Industry.
• 2. Environment Canada, National Pollutant Release Inventory, 2007 Summary, section 3.1.1.1 “Criteria Air Contaminants” (accessed January 29, 2013).
• 3. J. Bergerson and D. Keith, “Life cycle assessment of oilsands technologies,” Proceedings of the Alberta Energy Futures Project Workshop, 2006.
• 4. Environment Canada (NPRI), "2006 Air Pollutant Emissions for Canada: Version 1" (accessed January 29, 2013).
• 5. Environment Canada, "Acid Rain FAQ" (accessed January 29, 2013) .
• 6. Government of Alberta, "Lower Athabasca Region: Air Quality Management Framework – For Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) and Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) Ambient Air Quality Objectives" (accessed January 29, 2013)
• 7. World Health Organization, WHO Air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide: Summary of risk assessment, (2005).
• 8. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Development, Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives and Guidelines Summary, (2013).
• 9. Environmental Defense, Dirty Oil, Dirty Air: Ottawa's Broken Pollution Promise (2010) (accessed January 10, 2011) 

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