Ecosystem Sites, Volatile Organic Compounds, Validated Data, Oil Sands Region

Monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOC) was initiated by Environment and Climate Change Canada at the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA) Air Monitoring Station (AMS) 1 – Bertha Ganter, in Fort McKay, Alberta in October 2011. The VOC compounds that are currently being measured at AMS 1 are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylenes, and o-xylene (BTEX).

All of the validated VOC maximum hourly concentrations are below the hourly Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAAQOs). The annual mean benzene concentrations are also below the annual AAAQO for benzene.