Oil and Gas, Air Pollution, Water and Health in Treaty 8 Territory

Oil and Gas, Air Pollution, Water and Health in Treaty 8 Territory!

Dr. Judi Krzyzanowski BSc, MSc, PhD Treaty 8 “What’s the Drill on Oil and Gas” Fort St. John March 25th, 2015

Extensive Oil and Gas

Oil and gas wells, annually New

Cumulative/total

Contaminants in air and water

Numerous sources of air pollution

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Emissions are dominated by upstream oil and gas

Common types of air pollutants Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) = NO & NO2 – from all combustion Sulphur dioxide (SO2) – from combustion of sulphur-containing fuels Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) – ‘sour gas’ leaks and venting Total Reduced Sulphur (TRS) – leaks, desulphurization off-gases Particulate matter (PM) = fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) – from combustion, dust Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) – leaks and fugitive emissions Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) – incomplete combustion, fugitive Ozone (O3) – secondary pollutant formed from NOx and VOCs Radiation – associated with produced water, equipment scale, gas

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Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) = NO & NO2 – from all combustion • Responsible for ozone (‘smog’) formation • Can also form acidic aerosols (H2NO3) – a type of PM • NO2 may cause lung irritation and inflammation, cardiovascular effects or allergen sensitisation • Contributes to acidification of soil and water • Contributes to eutrophication of soil and water • Can lead to ecosystem changes • Excessive NO3 in drinking water reduces blood’s O2 carrying capacity

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Sulphur dioxide (SO2) – from combustion of sulphur-containing gas

• Can form acidic aerosols (H2SO4) – a type of PM • Leads to respiratory irritation, aggravates asthma • May cause injury to vegetation • Annual SO2 UNECE threshold for lichens may be exceeded • Main cause of soil or water acidification

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Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) – ‘sour gas’ leaks and venting • Slightly heavier than air • Has a ‘rotten egg’ smell • Odorous at very low concentrations – 0.5 ppb for 50% • Health damage begins around 10 ppm (10,000 ppb) 20,000 x that or ; AAQO = 5 ppb • Causes damage to vegetation • Also forms acidic aerosols (H2SO4) • Is often combusted to form SO2 in disposal • Flammable and explosive

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Total Reduced Sulphur compounds (TRS) – includes H2S, mercaptans • Often measured by the government at monitoring stations in H2S equivalents • Provincial Ambient Air Quality Objective (AAQO) is for TRS as H2S • All have a ‘rotten egg’ smell • Methyl mercaptan has health effects at higher concentrations than H2S (17 ppm or 17,000 ppb) but similar odour thresholds • Dimethyl sulphide [(CH3)2S], dimethyl disulphide (CH3SSCH3), carbonyl sulphide (CS) and carbon disulphide (CS2) are also potential air pollutants associated with oil and gas

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Particulate matter (PM) = fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) – from combustion or dust • Associated with haze and visibility problems • A mixture, can include acidic aerosols (H2SO4, H2NO3, metals, etc.)

• Difficult to characterise = diverse • Cause lung damage — associated with lung cancer and emphysema • Can fall out as ‘soot’ etc.

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Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) – leaks and fugitive emissions • Some are odourous • Some are carcinogenic or mutanogenic (BTEX – benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene) • Methane, propane, butane, etc. are explosive or flammable • Some contribute to ozone formation • Some (methane) contribute to climate change

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) – incomplete combustion, fugitive • Also ‘organic’ and considered to be ‘semi-volatile’ • E.g. phenanthrene or • No two oil sources have the same PAH signature • Reduce ozone in their breakdown • Like to attach to particles and travel • Some are carcinogenic or mutanogenic • Can contaminate water and soil

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Ozone (O3) – secondary pollutant formed from NOx and VOCs • Main component of photochemical smog • A strong oxidant • Damages tissues (lungs, vegetation, etc.)

• Long-lived, travels across provincial borders, continents, etc.

• Formation is dependent on solar radiation and temperature

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Radiation – associated with produced water, equipment scale, gas • Three main types of ionizing radiation: gamma rays, alpha- and beta-particles • Cause damage at the genetic/intracellular level • Absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, or through skin • Not generally measured or monitored • Radium in particular can be present in gas lines, produced water and equipment scale • Radium’s daughter product radon is a leading cause of lung cancer

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The air/water/soil interface

Health Pathways • Air • Water

• Food

• Soil

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90 80

Lung Cancer Mortality Respiratoy Disease Mortality Other Respiratory Mortality Lung Cancer Incidence Asthma Incidence

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Incidence per 100,000

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Canada

BC

Human Health

Vacouver Location

Northwest BC

Northeast BC

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Levels of air pollutants

BC MOE Sites Dec. 2013 – Jan. 2014

PESTS Sites Sept. 2014 – Apr. 2015

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Levels of air pollutants – MOE

Fort Saint John Key Learning Centre

1-hour AAQO SO2 = 170 ppm 1-hour AAQO TRS = 5 ppm

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MOE Readings‌ Doig River Cultural Centre

Road 197 East Tomslake

1-hour AAQO NO2 = 213 ppb 1-hour AAQ) O3 = 51 ppb 24-hour AAQO PM10 = 5 µg/m3

PESTS Readings…

Taylor

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What affects air quality measurements?

• • • • •

a) day

(Oke, 1987. Boundary Layer Climates)

Meteorology Topography Surface roughness Source characteristics Pollutant specifics

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• SO2 and NOx lead to soil and water acidification • Freshwater (lake) representative of its basin • Depletion of base cations (Ca2+, Mg+, K+, Na2+) • Mobilization of toxic forms of aluminium (Al3+) • Can lead to death of vegetation, fish, etc.

Acidification

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• NOx and other rN inputs can lead to soil and water eutrophication • Multiple N inputs — not just atmospheric • Causes changes to ecosystems • Freshwater (lake) representative of its basin • Cause algal blooms, oxygen deficiency, water ‘death’

Eutrophication

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Modelling deposition

• 2156 km2 • 3 First Nations communities (Blueberry, Beatton, Doig) • 266 point, flare and area sources

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Sulphur - acidification

Nitrogen – eutrophication and acidification High

Low

Predicted deposition

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Acidification Risk/Sensitivity

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Other impacts‌.

Radiation and salinity

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Explosion or fire risk

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• There are tools to monitor or measure ecosystem change – lichens, conductivity, visible injury…

• Community-based indicators can also be developed/used • Monitors becoming more affordable, easy to use, and accessible to communities

Discussion/Context

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Thank-you Any Questions