Historic mercury and heavy metal deposition in the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) reconstructed from lake sediment cores

The Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), in Ontario, Canada, is a sensitive region for heavy metal contamination, such as mercury, in part due to long-range atmospheric deposition from global and regional industrial regions. The region is remote from industrial centres, but is downwind of major pollution sources in North America and Canada, and historically had numerous gold mining sites.

Supplemental Information

The Climate Change and Air Pollution (CCAP) program was established in 2016 to identify the severity and extent of adverse impacts of current and future air emissions on aquatic ecosystems to support regulatory actions and policy development. The program includes a number of components, including identifying, monitoring and defining air quality and greenhouse gas (GHG) concerns; improving our understanding of the short- and long-term effects of atmospheric pollutants on the environment; developing a plan to combat climate change; and monitoring and reducing both domestic and transboundary emissions of GHGs. The program is also responsible for identifying and studying emerging issues including multipollutant impacts, major urban sources, and effects of increasing heat on air pollutant formation, among others.

On-going cooperation and support with the Provinces and Territories, international governments and organizations and academia are vital to deliver these priorities to Canadians.