Nitrogen
Concentration
and Deposition
in Alberta
CASA N Symposium
Dr. Karen McDonald
September, 2006
The Alberta Airshed Context
X Local stakeholder values
and goals
X Issue driven networks
X Scientifically credible
monitoring methods
X Consistent and timely
data analysis
X Direct public access
Max 1-Hour NO value for 2005 (PPB)
Measured NO
Concentrations
Max 1-hr
Fort Chipew an: 16.0
Average 1-Hour NO value for 2005 (PPB)
Albian Mine: 392.0
Fort McKay: 88.0
Syncrude UE1: 62.0
Millenium: 421.0
Patricia McInnes: 122.0
Athabasca Valley: 147.0
Avg 1-hr
Beaverlodge: 61.0
Fort Chipew an: 0.1
Henry Pirker: 352.0
Ross Creek: 200.0
Fort Sask.: 284.0
Station 401: 250.0
Pow er: 94.0
Redw ater: 145.0
Meadow s: 143.0
Lamont: 53.0
Carrot Creek: 99.0
Edmonton NW: 545.0
Tomahaw k: 33.0
Edmonton C: 64.0
Violet Grove: 20.0
Edmonton E: 409.0
Wagner: 52.0
Genesee: 51.0
Red Deer: 202.0
Caroline: 52.0
Calgary NW: 251.0
Calgary C: 572.0
Calgary E: 907.0
Lethbridge: 206.0
Crescent Heights:
147.1
Albian Mine: 7.6
Fort McKay: 2.2
Syncrude UE1: 1.9
Millenium : 17.4
Athabasca Valley: 6.6
Patricia McInnes: 3.3
Beaverlodge: 1.1
Henry Pirker: 11.8
Ross Creek: 4.8
Fort Sask.: 10.6
Station 401: 6.2
Redw ater: 7.4
Lam ont: 1.1
Pow er: 0.7
Carrot Creek: 2.7
Tom ahaw k: 0.7
Violet Grove: 0.5
Edm onton NW: 21.3
Edm onton C: 17.8
Meadow s: 3.2 Edm onton E: 15.6
Genesee: 1.0
Wagner: 1.0
Red Deer: 11.8
Caroline: 1.3
Calgary NW: 8.2
Calgary C: 21.8
Calgary E: 38.0
Crescent Heights: 4.3
Lethbridge: 3.9
Maxim um 1-Hour NO2 for 2005 (PPB)
Max 1-hr
Fort Chipew an: 30.0
Albian Mine: 72.0
Fort McKay: 53.0
Syncrude UE1: 39.0
Millenium : 77.0
Patricia McInnes: 44.0
Athabasca Valley: 58.0
Measured NO2
Concentrations
1-hr objective = 210 ppb
Average 1-Hour NO2 value for 2005 (PPB)
Avg 1-hr
Fort Chipew an: 0.7
Beaverlodge: 36.0
Henry Pirker: 77.9
Ross Creek: 100.0
Fort Sask.: 68.0
Station 401: 60.0 Redw ater: 60.0
Range Road 220: 80.0
Pow er: 40.0
Lam ont: 54.0
Carrot Creek: 49.0
Edm onton NW: 74.0
Tom ahaw k: 31.0
Edm onton C: 74.0
Violet Grove: 30.0
Meadow s: 43.0 Edm onton E: 16.2
Wagner: 38.0
Genesee: 38.0
Red Deer: 58.0
Caroline: 30.0
Calgary NW: 64.0
Calgary C: 97.0
Calgary E: 198.0
Albian Mine: 9.2
Fort McKay: 5.4
Syncrude UE1: 4.5
Millenium : 11.9
Patricia McInnes: 5.8
Athabasca Valley: 9.1
Beaverlodge: 4.5
Henry Pirker: 11.7
Ross Creek: 12.8
Fort Sask.: 12.0
Redw ater: 8.6
Station 401: 10.6 Range
Road 220: 8.8
Pow er: 4.2
Lam
ont: 3.5
Carrot Creek: 6.8
Edm onton NW: 17.6
Tom ahaw k: 4.8
Edm onton C: 21.5
Meadow s: 7.6 Edm onton E: 16.2
Violet Grove: 4.1
Wagner: 5.1
Genesee: 4.5
Red Deer: 13.7
Caroline: 2.6
Crescent Heights: 44.9
Lethbridge: 49.0
Calgary NW: 14.3
Calgary C: 23.9
Calgary E: 22.0
Crescent Heights: 8.3
Lethbridge: 6.9
Changing NO2(ppm)
0.03
0.025
0.02
Calgary
Edmonton
Red Deer
0.015
Fort Saskatchewan
Fort McMurray
Beaverlodge
0.01
0.005
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
PAMZ Passive NO2 Concentrations - 2005 Annual Average
Passive NO2 Concentrations (ppb)
Passive Data
Continuous Data
53
F e rryba nk : 3 .5
S unc hild: 1.4
S a m s o n: 3 .8
M a lm o : 4 .1
R im be y: 3 .7
B e nt le y: 5 .7
M o rnings ide : 4 .3
S ylv a n La k e : 3 .9
B igho rn: 0 .4
T win La k e s : 4 .2
P a rk e r R idge : 0 .3
A lix: 3 .5
Le s lie v ille : 3 .3
M a rk e rv ille : 4 .6
R a v e n R iv e r: 2 .6
R e d D e e r: 9 .3
P a k k a w: 3 .6
B a s e line M o unt a in: 1.4
R ic inus : 1.9
C a ro line : 2 .2
J a m e s R iv e r: 10 .6
Lim e s t o ne M o unt a in:
0 .3
S undre : 2 .4
B o w S um m it : 0 .3
P a nt he r R iv e r: 2 .1
E lno ra : 3 .0
M a yt o n: 2 .5
N e e t o o k - O lds : 3 .1
F a lle n T im be r: 0 .8
S o ut h E lk t o n: 1.6
S unnys lo pe : 3 .2
C ro s s f ie ld- C a rs t a irs :
A c m e - G ra inge r: 2 .8
4 .5
L
a
t
i
t
u
d
e
G ra inge r: 3 .8
B e a rbe rry:1.2
B o t t re l: 1.8
Ke rs e y: 3 .5
C a lga ry N o rt hwe s t : 14 .3
C a lga ry C e nt ra l: 2 3 .9
C a lga ry E a s t : 2 2 .0
-118
Longitude
51
-112
Comparing Concentrations
Alberta
Sites
Modeled N Concentrations
1971-2000
Total N Concentration (μg/m3)
1995
2000
2010 N Concentration (μg/m3)
Wet Deposition of Nitrogen
N Deposition
60
• Measured Wet N
Deposition
• Running 3-24 years
• Currently 9 h
operating stations
Fort Vermillion:
0.353
Fort Chipewyan:
0.717
h
h
58
2.22
Fort McMurray:
0.703
1.35
h
High Prairie: 0.646
56
h
Cold Lake: 1.072
Beaverlodge: 0.614
• Measured Dry N
Deposition
• 2 case studies
h
Ellerslie: 1.954
Whitecourt: 1.477
h
Edson: 1.048
Drayton Valley:
1.791
Red Deer: 2.048
Rocky Mt. House:
1.842
Kananaskis: 1.346
• Units: kg/ha/yr
54
Royal Park: 3.302
52
h h
Coronation: 1.164
Calgary: 2.065
Suffield: 1.247
h
50
-111
48
-109
Lethbridge: 1.513
-121
-119
-117
-115
-113
Modeled Dry N Deposition
1971-2000
Modeled Wet N Deposition
1971-2000
Modeled Dry Deposition
1995
2010
Modeled Wet Deposition
1995
2010
Hotspots & Issues
• Intensifying hotspots
– Edmonton – Calgary corridor
– Fort McMurray
• Spread of deposition patterns into
Saskatchewan and Manitoba
Comparing the Change S and N
1995
2010
Total Deposition (% of Critical Load)
1995
Primarily
due to N
changes
2010
Summary
fAlberta cities have N
concentrations comparable to
other Canadian cities
fN concentrations are increasing
across the province
fN deposition increases accordingly
fN increases overwhelm any
improvements by S decreases
Nitrogen Concentrations and
Deposition in Alberta
Questions?
Thank You