NAtChem/Toxics Database - NAtChem/Toxics Database - [Meteorological Service of Canada

Overview: The NAtChem/Toxics Database

The objective of NAtChem/Toxics is to produce a database and analysis facility of Canadian and U.S. air and precipitation, toxic chemistry data for use in the study of hazardous chemicals in the atmosphere. Its purpose is to provide regional-scale analysis of air and precipitation chemistry data to understand the long range transport of air pollutants.

Toxics play an important role in human health and the environment. The objective of Air Toxics Research Program at Environment Canada is to understand and predict the environmental cycling of air toxics with the intent of providing advice and guidance to reduce the risks to human health and the environment. NAtChem/Toxics database and analysis facility is aimed at assisting in the archival and analysis of the data in an effort to better understand and predict the behaviour of airborne toxic chemicals.

The IADN and CAMNet programs recognized the need for a centralized data archival and analysis facility. NAtChem was selected to perform these functions. The Toxics component of NAtChem database was developed in 1997/98.

Currently, the Toxics Program is focused on two regional programs, namely the Great Lakes and Arctic.

This project is supported by Hazardous Air Pollutants Research Program.