Alberta Oilsands Emissions Far Exceed Official Reports, Study Finds

Airborne pollutants from oilsands operations found to be up to 64 times higher than industry estimates, posing potential health risks.

New research suggests that Alberta's oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful air pollutants than officially recorded, with the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles.
The study measured concentrations of organic carbon emissions in the air by flying overhead and taking samples, finding levels that were between 20 and 64 times higher than those reported by industry.
The chemicals included volatile organic compounds, considered dangerous to human health and found on the warning labels of products like nail polish and paint thinners.
The emissions levels reported by industry to the federal and Alberta governments are typically calculated using a 'bottom-up' approach, based on estimates of the amount of emissions produced for specific activities in the oilsands.
The pollutants can eventually transform into tiny particles like the ones produced in wildfires, which doctors warn can be harmful to human health.