Alberta’s oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful air pollutants than are officially reported, with the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles, new research suggests.
The study, published today in the academic journal Science, measured concentrations of organic carbon emissions in the air by flying overhead and taking samples. Those numbers were compared to estimated amounts, prepared using ground-based data, reported by oilsands operations.
The researchers found levels that were between 20 and 64 times higher than those reported by industry, depending on the oilsands facility.
The chemicals included volatile organic compounds, which are considered dangerous to human health and
