Alberta’s oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful air pollutants than officially recorded — putting the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles, new research suggests.
Alberta’s oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful air pollutants than officially recorded — putting the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles, new research suggests.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Alberta’s oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful air pollutants than are officially reported, with the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles, new research suggests.
The study, published today in the academic journal Science, measured concentrations of organic carbon emissions in the air by flying overhead and taking samples.
The researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Yale University found levels that were between 20 and 64 times higher than those reported by industry, depending on the oilsands facility.
The chemicals included volatile organic compounds, which are considered dangerous to human health and found on the warning labels of products like nail polish and paint thinners.
John Liggio, a co-author of the study and an ECCC research scientist, said the total output of these chemicals is roughly on par with what’s produced from all other human sources in the country, ranging from transportation to manufacturing.
The findings build on previous research that has shown other types of pollutants, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, are also higher than the reported totals.
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