Potential impacts of airborne particulates on caribou in Canadas - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Potential impacts of airborne particulates on caribou in Canada’s Arctic: ways of impact, monitoring methods, early results, & key challenges Wenjun Chen 1 , Sylvain G. Leblanc 1 , H. Peter White 1 , Christine Rock 2 , Brian Milakovic 2 , Greg Sharam 2 , Harry O’Keefe 3 , Laura Corey 3 , Bruno Croft 4 , Jan Adamczewski 4 , Jody S. Pellissey 5 , Boyan Tracz 5 , Jessica Hume 6 , Anne Gunn 7 , and John Boulanger 8 1 Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, NRCan, Ottawa, Wenjun.chen@Canada.ca 2 Environmental Resources Management Ltd., Vancouver 3 Dominion Diamond Ekati Corporation, Calgary 4 Environment and Natural Resources, GNWT, Yellowknife 5 Wek'èezhìi Renewable Resources Board, Yellowknife 6 Tlicho Government, Behchoko 7 CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network 8 Integrated Ecological Research Ltd., Nelson SGP wildlife Monitoring workshop 2018

Background Boulanger et al. (2012) estimated the zone of influence (ZOI) around the Ekati-Diavik mining complex to be 14 km using caribou survey data 800 Dustfall (TSP levels (kg/ha/year) 700 600 One possible 500 mechanism for ZOI 400 was suggested to be 300 the dispersion of 200 airborne particulates from the mining 100 complex 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Distance from EKati/Diavik Mines (km) Figure 7. Mean total suspended particles (TSP) levels (kg/ha/year) as a function of distance from the Ekati-Diavik mine complex during 2003-2008. The mine complex included Misery Road and Fox Pit. Estimates are based on CALPUFF model predictions (Rescan 2006).

How exactly might airborne particulates have impacted caribou’s movement behaviour & health, and thus the ZOI? Theoretically there could have 3 potential ways of impacts: • Deposition (dry and/or wet) may influence caribou forage. Caribou may taste the difference in forage and respond • Caribou may see a dust plume from a mining road and move away from it. • Caribou may smell the difference in air quality and react accordingly. Many unanswered questions.

Terms related to airborne particulate matter • Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) : Airborne solid and liquid particles for the entire size range, whose coarse components may deposit within seconds to minutes • PM 2.5 : Airborne microscopic solid or liquid particles with a diameter < 2.5 micrometers, which may stay in the air for weeks • Dry deposition: The deposition of coarse particulates as they settle out of the atmosphere continually due to gravity, the main mechanism with which coarse components of particulates deposit (e.g., dustfall measured with dust trapper) • Wet deposition: The deposition of particulates as they settle out of the atmosphere due to precipitation, the main mechanism with which PM 2.5 deposit

Monitoring methods and early results for the 1st potential way of impact: changed forage quality due to dustfall Monitoring variables: • Dustfall rate (DDEC) • TSS in snow (DDEC) • Soil pH (this study) • Amount of dust on leaves (this study) • Vegetation % cover (this study)

Dustfall monitored at different distances from a haul road by DDEC

Dustfall rate in the summer (DDEC air quality report for 2012-14) 25 Mean dust deposition (mg/ dm 2 /d) 20 Background rate at 15 AQ49 and AQ54, 19 and 34 km resepctively from the Pigeon Pit 10 5 0 0 500 1000 1500 Distance from the Misery Road in 2014 (m)

Comparison of dustfall results between Rescan model and DDEC monitoring 800 Dustfall (TSP) levels (kg/ha/year) 700 600 Annualized background Background 500 dustfall using monthly dustfall during TSP concentration June 15 and 400 at the Main camp as September 15 the scaling factor 300 200 100 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Distance from EKati/Diavik Mines (km)

Seasonal changes at the Ekati main camp (DDEC air quality report for 2012-14) 90 TSP at the main camp 80 PM2.5 at the main camp Monthly mean concentration ( m g m -3 ) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 15-Jan 15-Jul 14-Jan 15-Jul 14-Jan 15-Jul 2012 2013 2014 Date

Total suspended solids in snow (DDEC air quality report for 2012-14) Most elemental concentrations are below established background concentrations observed (1998-2011) at the CAPMoN station Snare Rapids. The exceptions are for the sampling locations < 1 km to mining activity and occasional outliers.

Soil pH measurement

Dust deposition effect on soil pH 10 9 Transects from the Misery Haul Road 8 7 Soil pH of the dwarf shrub class 6 R² = 0.9012 5 4 3 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 7 Transect from the Misery Camp 6 5 4 3 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Distance from the nearest disturbance source (m)

Measurement method for the amount of dust on leaves

Ratio to the average value Dust on Distance range (m) over sites > 1500 m <10 8.8 leaves 10-100 6.1 100-500 4.2 500-1000 2.6 1000-1500 1.1 >1500 1.0

Caribou forage availability: visual estimation and digital photo analysis

Effect on lichen 40 Transects from the Misery Haul Road Lichen % cover of the dwarf shrub class (%) 30 20 10 0 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 40 Transect from the Misery Camp 30 20 10 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Distance from the nearest disturbance source (m)

Relationship between soil pH on lichen % cover 35 Hood river Transects from the Misery Haul Road Lichen % cover of the dwarf shrub class (%) 30 Transect from the Misery Camp 25 20 y = 0.0672x 4 - 2.2663x 3 + 28x 2 - 151.03x + 302.49 R² = 0.4088 15 10 5 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Soil pH

Effect on vascular plants Vascular % cover of the dwarf shrub class (%) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 Transects from the Misery Haul Road 20 Transect from the Misery Camp 10 0 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000 Distance from the nearest disturbance source (m)

Relationship between soil pH & vascular % cover 100 Hood river Vascular % cover of the dwarf shrub class (%) 90 80 70 60 50 40 Transects from the Misery Haul Road 30 Transect from the Misery 20 Camp 10 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Soil pH

Summary: 1 st potential way of impact • Convergence of evidences suggested that the zone of dust and zone of affected vegetation are about 1 from a busy haul road  Dustfall (DDEC): ~ 1 km  Total suspended solids in snow (DDEC): ~ 1 km  Soil pH (this study): ~ 1 km  Dust on leaves (this study): ~ 1 km  Lichen % cover (this study): ~ 1 km • Lichen chemistry (DDEC): highest concentrations occur within 1 km of roads, with elevated levels within 10-30 km. Lots information but hard to compare directly o TSP vs. elements o Relationships with distance differ for different elements o Mainly dry deposition near road & wet deposition > 1 km?

Monitoring methods and early results for the 2 nd potential way of impact: caribou’s sight of a dust plume Monitoring variables • Atmospheric visibility (DDEC) • Effect of topography (this study) • In-situ survey (this study)

Atmospheric visibility (based on weather records at the Ekati Airport) 100 90 80 70 Atmospheric visibility (%) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Distance (km)

Elevation measurement: differential GPS units, accurate at cm scale

Visibility of a road dust plume (8 m high) 100% Mean % of road dusts visbible to caribou 90% Fitted line Visibility criteria 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 0 1 2 3 4 5 Distance (km)

Summary: 2 nd potential way of impact • Early results indicated that the zone of visibility of a dust plume by caribou is about 2-3 km • Remaining challenges: – Effect of threshold selection – Potential difference between human and caribou visions

Monitoring methods and early results for the 3rd potential way of impact: smell or in-hale airborne particulate matter Monitoring variables • Spatial gradients of TSP or PM 2.5 (representing a gradual and small change) • High concentration plumes of TSP or PM 2.5 (representing a sudden and large change)

Simulated spatial gradient of 24-h TSP concentration (Rescan 2006)

Simulated spatial gradient of 24-h PM 2.5 concentration (Rescan 2006) Gradient High concentration plume

Monitoring methods DDEC long term monitoring Field survey (DUSTTRACK II Aerosol Monitor 8532) Satellite mapping (MODIS) Did monitoring data show the gradients and high concentration plumes?

16 14 12 Mean PM 2.5 ( m g m -3 ) 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Distance the Misery Camp (m) 2016 and 2017 field transect survey didn’t find a reducing spatial gradient of PM 2.5 from a mine operation

Temporal variations 400 350 300 250 High concentration plume 500 TSP, 1 m from a road on the main camp 200 450 150 100 400 50 0 350 12:40:45 12:41:28 12:42:12 12:42:55 12:43:38 12:44:21 300 ( m g m -3 ) Fast 250 fluctuation in 200 background 150 concentration 100 + high concentration 50 Background concentration plumes 0 09:23:02 10:06:14 10:49:26 11:32:38 12:15:50 12:59:02 Time in August 4, 2017

Fast fluctuation in background concentration, without high concentration plumes between breathes at 14.7 km site 40 TSP, 14.7 km E-NE from the ain camp 35 30 25 ( m g m -3 ) 20 15 10 5 0 12:39:36 12:41:02 12:42:29 12:43:55 12:45:22 Time, August 4, 2017