CIMP 216: Hydrocarbon-derived compounds (anthropogenic and natural) in water bodies in the Sahtu. NWT-Wide Community based Water Quality Monitoring Program

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are a geographically widespread group of hydrocarbon chemicals, present in the environment as complex mixtures. During the past 25 years, levels of PACs in some northern ecosystems have been increasing, particularly in water, sediments, and lower trophic level organisms. However, relatively little information is publicly available to evaluate PACs in aquatic systems in the Sahtú Settlement Area. To help fill this knowledge gap, this project has two purposes: (i) to evaluate levels, composition, and potential biological impacts of PACs in water bodies in the Northwest Territories and (ii) to help make associated data more accessible to Indigenous communities, as well as to regulators who make decisions about water permits. SPMDs were deployed for approximately a month at a time in waterbodies in the Sahtú Settlement Area.