Month: July 2024

From April through June 2024, Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership (HAMP) recorded 14,569 hours of air monitoring data for use in calculating the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) at seven stations in our Airshed.

Results show the AQHI in the HAMP Airshed measured a low risk to health at least 96% of the time for April, May and June, except on May 11 and 12, when wildfire smoke from northeastern British Columbia resulted in very high risk AQHI hours. 

 

Hours monitored	Low risk AQHI	Moderate risk AQHI	High risk AQHI	Very high risk AQHI
14,569	14,054	316	88	111

(All in hours) 

• 14,054 (or 96.5%) of the hours were low risk AQHI. 
• 316 (or 2.2%) of the hours were moderate risk AQHI.
• 88 (or 0.6%) of the hours were high risk AQHI.
• 111 (or 0.8%) were very high risk AQHI.

 

Summary of Exceedances

There were 25 one-hour exceedances of the Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAAQO) and 18 exceedances of the 24-hour objective in the second quarter of 2024.

The May 11 and 12 wildfire smoke resulted in 14 of the 24-hour exceedances for fine particulate matter. The remaining 24-hour and one-hour exceedances were from an undetermined source.

One 24-hour exceedance and eight one-hour exceedances of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) occurred in April due to natural ice melt. H₂S is released from bodies of water in the springtime when the ice cover melts. The H₂S results from bacterial action in the oxygen-depleted environment under the ice during the winter and early spring.

The source of the remaining exceedances was undetermined. Hydrogen sulphide is used or produced in industries such as oil and gas refining. It also occurs naturally in bodies of water,  sewers, manure pits, well water and oil and gas wells.

Air quality measurements are compared continuously to both one and 24-hour AAAQOs. An exceedance of an AAAQO is reported to the Alberta Government, and the likely cause of the exceedance is investigated.

 

Three-Year AQHI Rating Comparison in Second Quarter: 

	Low Risk	Moderate Risk	High Risk	Very High Risk
Q2 2022	99.30%	0.70%	0.00%	0.00%
Q2 2023	77.9%	16.8%	3.1%	2.2%
Q2 2024	96.5%	2.2%	0.6%	0.8%

 

 

For more details: April to June 2024 air monitoring report.

 

Environment Canada, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services have continued an air quality advisory:

Air quality advisory continued for:

• Smoky Lake Co. near Vilna Saddle Lake and Whitefish Lake, Alta. (075122)
• Westlock Co. near Westlock and Clyde, Alta. (076142)
• Sturgeon Co. near Legal and Mearns, Alta. (076242)
• Sturgeon Co. near Morinville Volmer and Big Lake, Alta. (076243)
• Thorhild Co. near Thorhild Opal and Radway, Alta. (076310)
• Sturgeon Co. near Bon Accord Gibbons and Namao, Alta. (076321)
• Sturgeon Co. near Redwater, Alta. (076322)
• Lamont Co. near Bruderheim Lamont and Peno Creek, Alta. (076331)
• Lamont Co. near Andrew and Wostok, Alta. (076332)
• Lamont Co. near Mundare Chipman and Ukrainian Village, Alta. (076333)
• Smoky Lake Co. near Smoky Lake and Waskatenau, Alta. (076340)
• Co. of Two Hills near Willingdon and Hairy Hill, Alta. (076350)
• Fort Saskatchewan and Nrn Strathcona Co., Alta. (076360)
• Elk Island Nat. Park, Alta. (076370)
• City of Edmonton – St. Albert – Sherwood Park, Alta. (076400)
• Strathcona Co. near Ardrossan and Cooking Lake, Alta. (076630)
• Beaver Co. near Tofield, Alta. (076641)

From the advisory:

“Wildfire smoke is causing or expected to cause very poor air quality and reduced visibility.

Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour.

The combination of heat and very poor air quality in smoke will increase the risk to your health.

During heavy smoke conditions, everyone is at risk regardless of their age or health. The fine particles in wildfire smoke pose the main health risk.

Limit time outdoors. Consider rescheduling or cancelling outdoor sports, activities and events.”

Click here for more details.

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