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Supplement 4
Indicator name: Emissions of volatile organic compounds. Issue name: Urban air quality Purpose and rationale Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic gases and vapours. They are "volatile" because they easily evaporate into the air. VOCs react with nitrous oxides in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone. They also contribute to the formation of secondary particulate matter. VOCs come from both human and natural sources. A large proportion of VOCs in Canada is emitted naturally from plants and trees. Human sources include the use of gasoline-fuelled vehicles, emissions from evaporation at gas stations and of a variety of solvents, including oil-based paint, barbecue starter fluid and household cleaning products. There are thousands of different types of VOCs with varying health effects. They range from relatively non-toxic chemicals to chemicals that can affect the brain and cause cancer. Several VOCs, including benzene and 1,3-butadiene, have been declared "toxic" under CEPA, 1999 meaning that at certain concentrations they endanger human life or health. Methodology Data were extracted from the Canadian Emissions Inventory of Criteria Air Contaminants, which provides accurate national estimates of atmospheric emissions by source type. It includes information from all major Canadian emission sources, whether of human or natural origin, and contains data on the following pollutants (also known as criteria air contaminants): total particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, and VOCs. The VOC emissions estimates within the Criteria Air Contaminants Inventory include both area source and point source emission estimates. Area source emissions are compiled and estimated by Environment Canada from a range of separate studies; point source emission estimates are obtained directly from each province/territory. When source data on specific pollutants are not available, emission discharge factors are used to estimate the emissions. These factors indicate the rate at which a contaminant is released into the environment as a result of a specific activity. Caveats and limitations Changes in methodology limit the comparability of values from year to year. Targets and/or benchmarks n/a Geographic coverage Canada Units of measure Thousands of tons Terminology/glossary Websites and/or references Environment Canada's Air Pollution Emissions Website http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ape/cape_home_e.cfm
Emissions of volatile organic compounds Data source (organization) Pollution Data Branch, Environment Canada Data contact person Marc Deslauriers Pollution Data Branch Environment Canada (819) 994-3069 Data brief description Emissions of volatile organic compounds. Data collection period and frequency Every 5 years. |
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