Air Pollution Trends

Opportunities

Jeffrey R. BrookSenior Scientist

Air Quality Research Division

Page 2

Air quality has improved considerably

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Long-Term Trend in “Soot”

19741976

19781980

19821984

19861988

19901992

19941996

19982000

20022004

20062008

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0E

C (

µg

/m³)

EC derived from COH

EC

-51% Decrease 1990-2006

Courtesy of Tom Dann

Ele

men

tal o

r B

lack

Car

bon

(m

g/m

3)

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Decreasing Trend in PM2.5

An

nua

l Mea

n P

M2

.5 (m

g/m

3)

An

nua

l Mea

n S

ulp

ha

te (m

g/m

3)

Page 5

Decreasing Trend in NOx

An

nua

l Mea

n N

O2 a

nd

NO

(p

pb)

Page 6

An Environmental Management

Page 7

Ground-level ozone has declined since the early 2000s, however…

Large regions encompassing a large fraction of the population still exceed the new National Standard

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Hotspots may still pose risks

Ambient Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) levels increasing among monitoring sites near petrochemical industries

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Traffic Air Pollution remains an important

source of exposure for many Canadians

Air pollution effects occur down to low concentrations

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Given what has and is expected to be done to regulate emissions …

What else could be considered?

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Health Benefits of Reducing Diesel Exposure

http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/2012/mono105-info.php

“Scientific evidence is compelling”

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New diesels are much cleanerLegacy heavy duty diesels are potentially on and off our roads for multiple decades to come

$460M

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There are also opportunities to improve air quality in Canada through retrofits of the legacy diesel fleet

Some assessmentsSome small pilot tests

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Air pollution is a factor in asthma and allergy development and/or exacerbation and much of our exposure is “involuntary”

However, all aspects of a child’s environment need to be considered to optimize preventive strategies

Knowledge is still lacking to do this

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Viruses

Birth Cohort Examining the Origins of Asthma and Allergy

A national platform for multi-disciplinary research on environment and healthFrom asthma to other chronic diseases that develop through the life course

GeneticsImmune phenotypesClinical phenotypesStress

SES

Home environment

Pollution

Work & Schoolenvironment

Diet

Exposures

Pets

N = 3600

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CHILD is currently following children in Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver

Overall air pollution and traffic air pollution are being studied along with many other environmental factors

Stay tuned !