Toxic Contaminant Levels in Fog

Toxic chemicals in the atmosphere are a concern because of the potential impacts these chemicals can have on human health and ecosystem integrity. The atmosphere has the ability to transport large quantities of toxic materials over long distances in relatively short time scales. The Canadian Air Toxics Monitoring Network exists to detect these substances. Toxic chemicals in air and precipitation in the Atlantic region are measured under the guidance of several research and monitoring initiatives carried out by various branches of Environment Canada through programs such as the Canadian Atmospheric Mercury Network (CAMNet). Additional Information OR Comments: Contact Gerry Forbes for data. Sample Site Locations: Currently, there are 19 CAPMoN sites across Canada, 10 of which measure both dry and wet deposition. There is also a special site located at the Pennsylvania State University in the U.S. for comparison between CAPMoN and the United States National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). There are five CAPMoN sites located in the Atlantic provinces: Bay d'Espoir, NF; Goose Bay, NF; Harcourt, NB; Jackson, NS and Kejimkujik, NS. Kejimkujik measures both precipitation and air chemistry, and the other four sites measure precipitation chemistry.