The Air We Breathe

Achieving air quality that supports healthy, vibrant communities and healthy ecosystems.

To humans and animals, breathing is essential to life. But unlike the food we eat or the water we drink, there is only one option when it comes to the air we breathe. This is why the GBEI brought together partners from around the Basin in order to provide a better understanding of the state of the airshed, and to meet the challenges it faces in the future.

Air quality is an issue that transcends borders. In the Georgia Basin, local, provincial, state and federal governments are working as neighbours to develop common strategies to deal with air pollution, recognizing that cooperation will allow us a much better chance of success. The Joint Statement of Cooperation on the Georgia Basin and Puget Sound Ecosystems is helping to set priorities of action, improve communication through shared information, and establish a common approach to reducing emissions.

As we develop strategies to manage the airshed, we are determining what levels of pollution are acceptable for both human and environmental health, as well as conducting studies to identify the exact nature of air pollution. We are studying the effect air pollution has on humans, on the economy and on plants and animals. We are also studying the effects of climate change and analyzing where air pollutants are coming from. We know air pollution sometimes travels great distances, but we are also learning that it comes from local sources we never suspected. Just as we are working together to increase our knowledge about the nature and effects of air pollution, so too will we work together in our efforts to keep pollution levels down in the face of our growing population.

 

Understanding Our Airshed

Understanding the sources, composition and transformation of air pollutants is the first step in managing air quality. In the last five years, the GBEI partnership was involved in various initiatives that are helping us understand the nature of air pollution. While much attention is focused on the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley—an area particularly susceptible to the pressures of growth—other research is taking place around the Basin. For example, a program to measure the chemistry of rainfall over the southern areas of Vancouver Island is underway at Royal Roads University through a partnership with Environment Canada. Also, Environment Canada and the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (WLAP) collaborated with the Cowichan Regional District to complete the first comprehensive air quality study in the Cowichan Valley.

Groundbreaking studies are helping us understand the nature of smog, including why it sometimes appears as a white haze and sometimes brown. Other research has shown us that pollution in the Fraser Valley, previously thought to originate from the Greater Vancouver area, is also being produced in the Valley—from growing cities like Abbotsford and the surrounding farm fields, and from Whatcom County in Washington State.

We are further along than ever in taking stock of what is happening in our air. By identifying the sources and studying the effects of air pollution, we can better characterize our airshed. Armed with this knowledge, we can monitor ground-level ozone and the nature of particulate matter (PM) in order to gauge the effectiveness of pollution control measures today, and predict levels years from now.

Taking a Pollution Inventory

Pollution in the Lower Fraser Valley comes from a variety of sources that can be grouped into categories like point sources, area sources, mobile sources and natural sources. To develop an inventory of these emissions throughout the Georgia Basin, a number of partners came together, integrating Whatcom County into the study for the first time.

The Year 2000 Emissions Inventory lists common air contaminants (CACs) as well as ammonia, PM 10 and PM 2.5 (2.5 microns or less), and greenhouse gases (GHGs). Local emission sources that lead to the formation of PM include industry, power plants, vehicles, agriculture and natural sources like vegetation and the ocean.

This emissions inventory also provides information on the amount and dispersal of pollutants responsible for smog. Emissions within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) accounted for 145,124 metric tonnes, with the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) emitting 38,963 metric tonnes and Whatcom County adding 74,420 metric tonnes.

GVRD staff and consultants will use this inventory to backcast and forecast emissions. The forecast will project emissions forward to 2025 and identify the effectiveness of new regulations and emission-control strategies. Among these strategies are vehicle and fuel regulations and AirCare. This information is crucial for decision-makers on both sides of the border in setting future emission-control strategies to better manage air quality.

 

Emissions From Marine Vessels

One important finding that emerged from the inventory was that emissions coming from marine vessels—including freighters and cruise ships—are comparable to emission levels from motor vehicles. This prompted Environment Canada, WLAP and the GVRD to begin discussions with industry representatives and other regulatory agencies in an effort to obtain international cooperation in reducing emissions from this sector. This would include improvements to marine vessel fuel quality and stricter controls exercised by our ports.

A study undertaken by Environment Canada, in collaboration with Transport Canada and BC Ferries, evaluated an emissions reduction technology: a water injection system on a diesel propulsion engine. As the Queen of New Westminster operated under normal service between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, two separate tests were conducted with the water injection system.

When using the continuous water injection system, there was a 10–22% reduction in oxides of nitrogen emission rates (kg/tonne fuel), and a 19.8% (average) reduction of particulate mass without compromising carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide emissions. The system manufacturer measured differences in other engine parameters and ambient conditions. Engine load increased ~1%, while specific fuel consumption decreased ~1%.

Ocean Sulphur

To complement the calculation of emissions from various sources, a study assessed the amount of sulphur produced by the ocean. With the help of the Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft (SIYAI), water and air samples were collected from 51 different locations in the Strait of Georgia. Sample analysis indicated that more than 7% (~1000 tonnes) of the total sulphur emitted to the atmosphere in the Georgia Basin comes from natural oceanic sources (dimethylsulphide).

Examining Smog-Causing Pollutants: Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

Having a sound scientific understanding of our current air quality is crucial to ensuring cleaner air for future generations. Led by Environment Canada, an international team of scientists undertook a study in the Fraser Valley to improve awareness of air pollution in the region and in other parts of Canada. This team included the National Research Council, Natural Resources Canada, WLAP, the GVRD and researchers from Canadian and American universities. More than 130 researchers took atmospheric measurements at five sites, on board aircraft and using weather balloons. As they collected data on the complex atmospheric processes that create air pollution in the Valley, researchers based in Washington State conducted a complementary field campaign that extended southward over Puget Sound.

The Composition and Movement of Pollutants

Pacific 2001 provided information on the sources, formation and distribution of PM and ground-level ozone—key smog-causing pollutants—in the Fraser Valley. Results from sampling locations confirmed the impact motor vehicles are having throughout the Valley. Measurements of fine PM in Vancouver were compared with similar measurements at Langley and Sumas Mountain, revealing the importance of sea-salt particles in western areas and the dominance of ammonia in eastern areas.

The composition of these particles helps us understand why haze layers appear differently in western and eastern portions of the Valley. The distribution of aerosols measured by the aircraft instruments showed high concentrations filtering up the tributary valleys during the day and often residing in the valleys overnight. On other occasions, these particles would flow out of the valleys, increasing concentrations within the Fraser Valley.

The movement of pollutants westward out of the Valley into the Strait of Georgia was also documented. Under these wind-flow conditions, pollutants from the Valley mixed with pollutants from other parts of the Basin, stagnating in the Strait until winds increased and moved the pollutants inland once again. The flow of pollutants from the marine sector was observed through highly detailed measurements at the Vancouver sampling location. On two occasions, the air quality data and wind patterns identified plumes from large diesel sources in the English Bay area drifting across Vancouver.

The Result of Pacific 2001

As a result of Pacific 2001, the Fraser Valley has become internationally recognized for air quality studies. The many thousands of measurements and subsequent chemical analysis—showing the complex interaction of air pollutants in the Lower Fraser Valley—have been carefully conducted and placed in a data archive, accessible to scientists around the world. This data will also be available to the public by September 2003, providing access to the best available information on pollutant levels in the airshed.

Pacific 2001 was designed to build scientific understanding of air quality in the Fraser Valley. It also provides important information for the review of the Canada–US Ozone Annex in 2004, assists with the implementation of the Canada Wide Standards for PM and ozone, and contributes to policy development for international airshed management.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

The GVRD and FVRD are looking ahead 20 years to determine what might be the most promising measures to reduce GHG emissions. In 1999, the first phase of the project helped to identify the largest GHG emitters, including light-duty motor vehicles, cement and power plants. The study also looked for innovative ways to measure the benefits of reducing GHG emissions, such as improvements to human health, employment, income, and water quality.

Joined by Environment Canada and WLAP, the project’s second phase developed an integrated options study with the FVRD. This study assessed the amount of emissions attributed to fossil-fuel energy consumption, while also highlighting the viability of reducing Common Air Contaminants (CACs ) and GHGs. In particular, CO, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx) are highly correlated to energy use and GHGs. Almost half of the short-listed emission reduction measures would have a net negative cost per tonne. In other words, they would save society money, rather than imposing costs.

Characterizing the Airshed

All the accomplished work has helped us better understand our air quality issues. We know that the concentrations of PM and ground-level ozone in the Lower Mainland–Fraser Valley airshed are lower than the Canada Wide Standards. We also know that about 40% of the time, our ground-level ozone exceeds levels that cause measurable health effects. Short-term high concentrations of ozone, while showing some decreases since the 1980s, have been leveling off since 1993, whereas annual average concentrations appear to be on the rise. Measurements of nitrogen compounds in precipitation and in the air have provided information on atmospheric nutrient loading. Investigations into the impacts of atmospheric pollutants in airsheds on Vancouver Island indicate similarities with the types of pollutants measured in the Fraser Valley, even though concentration levels are frequently lower.

Georgia Basin Compared to the World

In the Elk Creek region of the Fraser Valley, air samples showed mean sulphate and nitrate concentrations similar to background levels measured at Mount Rainier, but lower than those in Seattle. In contrast, ammonia gas concentrations were double those reported for background areas in North Carolina, similar to those reported in Phoenix, Arizona and in urban Chongju, Korea. Nevertheless, they were 2-5 times lower than those reported for agricultural areas of the Netherlands.

Ammonium levels in the air were similar to those reported for southern Ontario and much of the eastern United States, while concentrations in rainwater were similar to a number of agricultural states in the central U.S. Meanwhile, nitrate concentrations in precipitation in eastern portions of the Lower Fraser Valley were comparable to those reported for the western U.S., but one order of magnitude lower than those measured over the southern Gulf Islands and in some areas of the northeastern U.S.

Ground-Level Ozone

Environment Canada recently completed an analysis of ground-level ozone data collected by the GVRD. Although average daily maximum ozone concentrations measured in the Lower Fraser Valley area are relatively low compared to many urban areas of Canada, maximum levels—which typically occur during the summer—are similar to those measured in large urban centres in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence corridor. Ozone levels occasionally exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Objective. Trend analysis performed on meteorologically adjusted data found decreasing trends for summer ozone at all stations. Decreasing trends were also found for annual ozone at stations in the eastern portion of the study area, which are more affected by locally produced ozone.

These trends were consistent with local declines in ozone precursors, and are in agreement with reported declines in summer ozone in urban areas of the U.S. and Europe over the same period. In contrast, increasing trends were found for annual ozone at stations in the western portion of the Lower Fraser Valley which, due to their geographical location, are less affected by locally produced ozone but are more likely to be affected by background ozone. There is some indication that increasing trends at these sites may be reflective of a hemispheric increase in background ozone levels.

Studies on Vancouver Island

Studies on Vancouver Island provided information on the atmospheric pathways that influence air pollution in western areas of the Basin. Air masses reaching the southern tip of Vancouver Island from Puget Sound contained elevated metal concentrations, presumably from industrial emissions, while air masses reaching the site from the Fraser Valley contained elevated ammonia concentrations, predictably from the agricultural industry. Weather patterns bringing air in from the Pacific Ocean contained increased chloride concentrations. Acidity levels in precipitation were slightly lower than in other coastal locations, but this is to be expected from a site primarily influenced by the marine environment.

A one-year intensive measurement program conducted by Environment Canada, WLAP and the Cowichan Regional District on Vancouver Island’s east coast showed a distinctly different chemical loading. In the Cowichan Valley, nitrogen compounds associated with sulphur indicated that the pulp mill to the north was the common, local source of these pollutants. Ammonia concentrations dominated the nitrogen loading, their distribution suggesting the source was primarily agricultural practices. PM measurements indicated a fairly well-ventilated airshed, with concentrations of PM remaining below levels seen in the Lower Fraser Valley.

A Shared Airshed

A shared border means a shared airshed with the United States. As a unique collaboration between federal, provincial, state and municipal agencies, First Nations and U.S. Tribes, the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound International Airshed Strategy sets the stage for cooperation on shared air quality issues. By characterizing the international airshed, this will define the current air quality status, such as where pollution comes from and how it moves back and forth across the border. This will also determine the future of air quality issues, and help us reach an overall air quality management strategy for the international airshed by the fall of 2003.

With this in mind, the goal of future efforts is to keep clean areas clean, and continually improve on what we have already achieved. As we continue to gain a better understanding of fine PM, we can make greater progress in both visibility and health issues.

Air Pollution and the Ecosystem

Air pollution is harmful not only to human health, but also to plants and wildlife. Pollutants absorbed by plants from the air or rain can affect their growth and survival. Some species of moss and lichens are particularly vulnerable because of their high surface area and dependence on the atmosphere for moisture and nutrients like nitrate and ammonia.

Because of these unique properties, Environment Canada scientists have been measuring sulphur, nitrogen and heavy metals in mosses and lichens around the Basin, as well as monitoring rain and air chemistry at a few sites. Once the relationships between concentrations in the lichen and those measured in the air and rain are established, deposition can be calculated over the area surveyed. It is likely that these calculations will show high deposition in urban areas, where sensitive lichen species no longer exist.

Chemical contaminants in the air find their way into the ecosystem through deposition into lakes or associated drainage basins. Fish and other aquatic organisms, including mosquito larvae and zooplankton, may absorb these chemicals. Scientists have found that these depositions are enhanced in arctic and alpine areas because snowflakes efficiently absorb pollutants as they form and travel. As a result, pollutants accumulate in the snow pack over winter, and when the snow melts, they are released to streams, soil and, to some extent, back into the air.

Persistent Organic Pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or trichloro-2, 2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) are examples of contaminants. In gaseous form, they can travel by air for very long distances, and are resistant to breaking down in the environment, especially at low temperatures. POPs can also accumulate in the fatty tissues of fish, wildlife and humans. As a result, it is not surprising that low levels of POPs have been detected in mountain snow packs on Vancouver Island and in the Coast Mountains from Chilliwack to Whistler, as well as in fish living in the lakes receiving runoff from these mountains.

Concentrations of POPs in snow were relatively low across the region, but they increased with elevation. In fish, the highest contaminant levels were found in Garibaldi Lake, which is a large glacier-fed lake at 1435 m elevation. While these levels would not be a concern for human consumption of fish, they are potentially of concern for wildlife, such as otter or osprey, which may depend on fish from this lake.

Air Pollution and Precipitation

At Elk Creek, near Chilliwack, air pollutants in precipitation were measured, providing insights into ecosystem impacts. There the rainwater proved to be less acidic than natural rainwater, reflecting the buffering effect of ammonia. Nitrogen levels in precipitation exceeded those designed to protect acid-sensitive ecosystems in the Rockies. These systems also exist in the Fraser Valley and surrounding hillside and mountains. While none of the nutrients measured in the air exceeded federal or provincial guidelines, three precipitation samples exceeded the WLAP nitrite criterion for the protection of aquatic life in freshwater.

A similar air quality study in the Cowichan Valley identified a full suite of heavy metals and organic and inorganic compounds. Similar air pollutants were present in the Lower Fraser Valley, but concentrations in the Cowichan Valley were lower. The rain in this area was more acidic than areas in the Lower Fraser. Buffering agents like ammonia—which neutralize some of the acidity in the Lower Fraser—are clearly not present in high enough concentrations to decrease the acidity in the Cowichan.

Our Changing Climate

The effects of a changing global climate have been linked to impacts within the Lower Fraser Valley. Global climate models are a helpful tool in understanding the complex interaction between changes in air pollutant concentrations, GHGs and the atmosphere.

Studying the period 1900 to 2100, this model projects that the temperature should rise between 3 and 4 °C in all months by the late 21st century. Also, long-term average temperatures in the Lower Fraser Valley should not change appreciably until late in the 20th century, and then should rise about 3.5 °C by the year 2100.

GBEI partners worked to educate the public about climate change. Targeted to BC high school students and teachers, the Temperature Rising Poster shows the impacts of climate change on southern BC. Since this poster was introduced in 1998, 400 workshops for teachers have been conducted.

The poster presents a complete scientific picture, including the role of GHGs and how climate change may impact people, wildlife, fish, forests, lakes, rivers and the ocean. A Climate Change Indicator is also tracking trends in temperature and precipitation at 13 climate stations across the region, including one in Victoria.

Air Pollution, Our Health and the Economy

Air pollution affects the health of people, resulting in higher incidences of lung disease, more hospital admissions and higher death rates. These health effects have a significant economic impact. Environment Canada, WLAP, the GVRD, Health Canada, the BC Ministry of Health Services and the FVRD have been working with an expert local panel of medical researchers and the BC Lung Association to review the effects of air pollution on health. This review is using international and local data to better understand the impacts in the Pacific Northwest, including the area covered by the international airshed.

The relationships found in this study will be used to assess impacts on the health of residents and on the economy. Preliminary economic benefit analysis reveals that human health benefits account for at least 80% of the total economic benefit of improving air quality, while the remaining benefits occur through decreased agricultural crop and building damage, and effects on visibility.

Impacting Tourism

Poor air quality causes lowered visibility and, as a result, affects tourism. Tourists visiting Vancouver expect stunning views of the mountains surrounding the Georgia Basin. However, when a thick cloud of haze obstructs these views, they may decide against returning or recommending the destination to other potential visitors.

All this adds up to lost tourism dollars. During the summer of 1999, an interactive survey, analyzing how tourists might tolerate reduced visibility, associated the losses of tourism revenues with different levels of visibility. For example, a very poor visibility day could result in the loss of over $8 million in future tourist revenues for the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.