NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, South Slave Region

Tags: contaminants, mercury, Pollutants, organic contaminants

Objective(s): To expand the number of sampling locations to get a more comprehensive understanding of the level of persistent organic pollutants and mercury entering the region, where the pollutants are coming from and how they are changing over time.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4494. The goal of the passive sampling network is to expand the number of sampling locations to get a more comprehensive understanding of the level of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury entering the region, where the pollutants are coming from and how they are changing over time. To provide spatially-distributed concentration data for this under-represented region to atmospheric modellers for model validation and improvement. Models can then be used to forecast the movement of these chemicals to the Arctic. To work with and provide training to the local communities for sample deployment and collections. An XAD sampling unit, a thin metal mesh tube filled with the resin XAD, would be deployed to the site to capture persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The XAD sampling unit will be in a housing unit measuring 5"x12". The sample would only need to be changed once a year. To collect the mercury samples, a small cylindrical container of activated carbon is inserted into a diffusion tube of the commercial Radiello type PAS (passive air sampler). These samples would need to be changed 4 times a year. A post would need to be placed in the ground where the POPs and MerPAS air samplers can be tied to and since they are passive samplers no power would be required to the site. The samplers are small and make no noise. The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) is obligated to report on its performance on an annual basis to the NCP Management Committee as well as the NWT regional contaminants committee. A site visit is planned every 5 years on a rotational basis among 7 communities, where passive air samplers have been deployed. The purpose of the site visit is to discuss with community representatives about POPs and mercury air monitoring in the North, and outreach to school and colleges for guest lectures and to seek out potential collaborators to help coordinate future deployments of samplers. Local/Indigenous Knowledge is very valuable in deciding the locations for the PAS deployment and in explaining unusual findings after sample analysis. A northern student, was engaged to research indigenous knowledge in the Yukon region by interviewing four elders on their general knowledge of contaminants in the north, knowledge of weather patterns, forest fires, mining and environmental change. The Researchers will continue to discuss with community contacts about the possibility of including Indigenous Knowledge in the interpretation of the results obtained using the passive air samplers. Community engagement is one of the most important components of this project. The research team will continue to discuss with Regional Contaminants Committees and Inuit Research Advisors for all regions about how we can better involve communities in the project. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from January 25, 2020 to December 31 2020.