NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: physical sciences, lichen, soil, vegetation, risk assessment, metals

Objective(s): To determine whether dust generated from mining activities is causing a measurable change in dust deposition to and/or metals uptake in lichen closer to and further from the mine.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5016. The goal of this project is to determine whether dust generated from mining activities is causing a measurable change in dust deposition to and/or metals uptake in lichen closer to and further from the mine. If a significant difference in uptake is noted closer to versus further from the mine, a health risk assessment to caribou may be conducted to determine risks associated with consumption of vegetation. Lichen samples will be obtained from approximately 20 locations close to mine infrastructure, and a portion of these locations will be linked to existing dustfall monitoring stations. Lichen samples will also be obtained from approximately 20 locations located a distance of 30 to 40 km away from the mine. Three far-far-field stations approximately 100km from the Mine Site will be sampled as benchmarks for testing applicability of using far field stations as reference for determining Mine related changes in lichen chemistry in near field areas. Soil samples will also be obtained from areas near lichen samples, in order to determine geological influence of metals levels in lichen compared with depositional levels. Samples will be obtained from each direction around the mine site, as identified in the maps attached to this application. Soil and lichen samples will be submitted for a full suite of metals analysis, and samples will not be washed in order to best represent what caribou eat. Some samples will be split for a washed and unwashed sample in order to be able to compare results to those from the previous years study (washed). It is intended to also utilize Traditional Knowledge in this study by involving an Elder in sample site selection, identification of caribou food and qualitative observations of plant health and dust levels at all locations sampled. Berry samples will be collected and analyzed for metals at some sample locations. An annual report is produced and distributed to various communities and regulators in 2022. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 14, 2021 to August 8, 2021.