Atmospheric and Climate Science Directorate

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)

Efforts are being made within the Air Quality Research Branch to identify, measure, and study the atmospheric pathways of hazardous air pollutants. The aim is to understand the processes that influence them, and to help reduce the risks to human health and the environment by providing advice and guidance to policy makers and Canadians. HAPs are organic compounds and heavy metals such as lead and mercury. They often contain chlorine, are industrial chemicals, or are formed as products of combustion. Commonly known HAPs include; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polynuclear aromatic compounds (PACs), and pesticides such at DDT, lindane and toxaphene. These pollutants are transported through the atmosphere and are deposited globally into the environment. The Air Quality Research Branch contributes to two regional research programs dealing with HAPs in the Great Lakes and the Arctic, and one national program that monitors mercury in the Canadian environment.

Click here for more information on Hazardous Air Pollutants.

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