Historic mercury and heavy metal deposition across Canada reconstructed from lake sediment cores
Lake sediment cores were collected from several locations in Canada as part of the historic mercury and heavy metal deposition trend, analysis, and research component of the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda/Climate Change and Air Pollutant (CARA/CCAP) and Oil Sands Monitoring (OSM) programs.
The reason sediment core analysis is used for research purposes is the bottom of a lake can act as a record of the contaminants and all other materials which have fallen into the lake over time. The lake water acts as both a sorting device and as a preservative since the deposits fall in chronological order and if not subject to dredging are not normally otherwise disturbed by humans.
In areas where depositional histories are complex, including changing contributions from local, regional and global sources, multiple dated lake sediment cores are useful tools for examining response of not only aquatic ecosystems, but their surrounding landscapes through time to changing emission/deposition scenarios.
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.
- Publisher - Current Organization Name: Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Licence: Open Government Licence - Canada
Data and Resources
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Sediment Core Paleo-analyses, Oil Sands RegionHTMLEnglish dataset HTML
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Sediment Core Paleo-analyses, Oil Sands RegionHTMLFrench dataset HTML
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View ECCC Data Mart (English)HTMLEnglish website HTML
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View ECCC Data Mart (French)HTMLFrench website HTML