Abstract
Large mineral deposits have been discovered in Ontario’s Far North and are being considered for further development. Particulate matter and trace elements can be emitted from potential mining activities and these air pollutants are associated with health risks and harmful to the sensitive ecosystem. An air monitoring station, powered by solar panels and a wind turbine, was established in this near-pristine area to monitor baseline levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and trace elements downwind of a proposed mine site. Levels of PM2.5 and trace elements observed from 2015 to 2018 were much lower than measurements observed in southern Ontario, suggesting minimal influence of primary emissions in the study area. One episodic PM2.5 event in July 2015 was attributable to wildfire emissions in northern Ontario. Only 8 out of the 31 target elements were detected in 25% or more of the samples. Good correlations among As, Se, Pb, and Sb, between Mn and Fe, as well as between Ce and La indicated they originated from long-range atmospheric transport from the south. Ontario’s Ambient Air Quality Criteria were not exceeded for any target air pollutants. Four years of air measurements filled the data gap of baseline information in this near-pristine study area and can be used to assess impacts of potential mining activities in the future. Field operations during this study period indicated that the battery-powered air instruments and meteorological sensors worked well in the harsh environment of Ontario’s Far North even in cold winter months. The field experiences gained in this study can be applied to future air monitoring activities in harsh environments where no direct power supply is available and site access is limited.
Highlights
The Ring of Fire area is located in Ontario’s Far North in the James Bay Lowlands which is dominated by northern peatlands and a globally significant carbon store [1]
Particulate matter and trace elements can be emitted from mining activities, such as drilling, blasting, hauling, collection, and transportation [5]
When winds came from the northwest, the air monitoring station was downwind of the proposed Eagle’s Nest mine site (Figure 1); long-term air monitoring at this location could shed light on the impacts of the proposed mining activities on ambient levels of air pollutants and the characteristics of air-related emissions
Summary
The Ring of Fire area is located in Ontario’s Far North in the James Bay Lowlands which is dominated by northern peatlands and a globally significant carbon store [1]. Large mineral deposits have been discovered in this near-pristine area including the Black Thor chromite deposit, estimated as at least 220 million tonnes of chromite, and the Eagle’s Nest nickel–copper deposit. Both deposits are being considered for further development [2,3]. Trace elements in PM2.5 are further subject to atmospheric deposition that can lead to build-up in soils and surface waters They are transported over long distances by air from source regions to remote areas due to their persistence in the environment [19]
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