Environmental monitoring and surveillance: chemicals management

Chemicals Management Plan Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Program

The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance (M&S) Program collects data about substances in the environment. The Program is led by scientists from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) using routine sampling and standard protocols. The Program includes monitoring across several media:

• Air
• Water
• Fish
• Sediment
• Wildlife
• Wastewater

Figure 1 shows the locations of sampling sites for the monitoring media of air, water, sediment, wastewater, fish, and birds. The substances monitored vary between media and from one year to another. The information collected is used to inform various activities, such as prioritization, risk assessment, risk management, or performance measurement of substances.

Figure 1: Sampling sites under the CMP’s Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Program

Environmental media

The sections below provide a concise outline of each monitoring component of the CMP Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Program.

Air

Air can transport volatile chemicals, particulate matter, and other contaminants impacting air quality over long ranges. Monitoring chemical levels in the air and precipitation helps ensure the safety of people and wildlife that relies on clean air.

Find more information and datasets on the air and precipitation monitoring and surveillance projects:  

• Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling Network - Global Monitoring Plan Data Warehouse of Stockholm Convention
• Air monitoring in the Great Lakes Basin
• Air Monitoring in Alert

Stations

The air component, which includes measurements in air, rain and snow, uses current atmospheric network infrastructure to support CMP needs. These include:

• the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) Monitoring and Surveillance Program
• the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) within the Arctic region
• Canadian sites within the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network
• the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) network across Canada

CMP air monitoring measures chemicals at two air and five precipitation monitoring sites in the Great Lakes. Additionally, chemicals are measured at two Arctic air sites and 10 urban and rural air stations across Canada.

When sampling precipitation, the program collects rain or snow samples over a month-long period using a specialized sampler.

1. A sensor will trigger the sampler to open its lid upon detecting rain or snow.
2. The sampler lid closes when it stops raining or snowing.
3. The sampler collects rain/snow water in a bottle.
4. The sample then passes through a resin trap and dissolves in a solvent.

ECCC scientists conduct some of the laboratory analyses and also contract some analysis out to private laboratories with demonstrated skill in analyzing specific pollutants.

Sampling and analytical methods

The program collects air samples using active and passive sampling methods.

• Active air sampling: pulls air through a sampling trap with a pump, separating the gas and particulate phases
• Passive air sampling: the samplers sit outside for several months without the need for electricity  
  • The passive samplers collect both the gas-phase and particle fraction together on a disk

In the laboratory, Program scientists extract air pollutants captured in the sampling traps and disks. Samples are then analyzed using sensitive analytical techniques (such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry).

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Water

Water bodies can contain several different kinds of substances. Substances can affect drinking water quality, and impact aquatic biota living in these bodies of water, and terrestrial biota drinking from it. It is important to protect the ecological functions served by these aquatic ecosystems.

Find CMP water monitoring and surveillance projects dataset on the Government of Canada’s Open Science Portal for Surface Water - ECCC CMP Data Catalogue.   

Stations

A fundamental component of the CMP Environmental M&S Program is accurate water quality monitoring information. The CMP water monitoring priority substances are measured through work with other federal monitoring and surveillance programs. The CMP complements other programs with additional sampling stations. Water samples are collected from multiple watersheds across Canada, up to 4 times per year

Scientists select stations by considering the nature of the substances of interest, and likeliness of finding it in a water body.  

Sampling and analytical methods

Scientists collect water in bottles, and to minimize sample contamination and ensure sample stability, methods are adapted to the substance chemistry.

Samples are analyzed by ECCC’s laboratories or by accredited commercial laboratories, depending on the substances and environmental media.

Sediment

Sediments are made of particles that settle on the beds of water bodies. Some harmful substances in sediment pose a risk to aquatic biota such as sediment dwellers and bottom feeders. Scientists use sediment core samples to identify the substance’s presence and understand temporal trends of different substances in water bodies.

Find sediment monitoring and surveillance datasets obtained by the CMP on Chemicals Management Plan - Sediment Monitoring Program.

Stations

Sediment for the CMP is collected at targeted and sentinel sites across Canada including the Great Lakes and other significant lakes and rivers. Sites are selected based on where substances are likely to be found and/or to determine overall substance distribution (e.g. for large water bodies).   Reference areas are also sampled to portray ambient concentrations.

Samples are collected annually for many national CMP stations. For the Great Lakes, scientists collect samples from select lakes each year, on a rotating basis.  In addition, scientists collect extra sediment at each station and store it in a sample archive.  Scientists can use these archives for potential future analysis of target substances.

Sampling and analytical methods

Scientists collect surficial sediment samples, taking the top 3 cm.  

1. Sediments are collected in the bed of a lake or river using grab samplers and/or corers.
2. Collected samples are placed into glass or plastic jars and then frozen.  
3. Samples are transported to ECCC’s Laboratories for analysis.
4. Chemical analyses are conducted according to certified protocols.
5. Sediment samples are dried and substances are extracted from the dried sediment using a technique called open-column clean-ups.  
6. Substances are analyzed using high-resolution gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric or high-performance liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric techniques.

Fish

Fish are an integral part of the ecosystem of our lakes and rivers in Canada, making them a good indicator of contamination in aquatic environments. They accumulate chemicals from water, sediments and through the food web.

We can evaluate substances accumulating in the aquatic food web by sampling top predator fish. These top predators are most susceptible to the effects of chemical bioaccumulation.

Find more information on fish monitoring and datasets on Open Science : Fish Contaminants Monitoring and Surveillance Data

Stations

The CMP Environmental M&S Program aligns its fish monitoring activities with the Great Lakes Fish Contaminants Surveillance Program. 
Sampling began more than 45 years ago and expanded to include sites in freshwater ecosystems across Canada. The sites cover major North American drainage basins or watersheds that drain into the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, the Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. They include:

• the Pacific Seaboard
• Yukon
• Columbia
• Mackenzie
• Hudson Bay Seaboard
• Nelson
• St. Lawrence
• Atlantic Seaboard

These data allow study of the temporal and spatial trends in substances of concern in fish across Canada.

Sampling and analytical methods

Scientists collaborate with partners and local organizations to collect 10 to 20 top predator fish per site. Gills nets are used to catch fish in most sites. These nets are made of walls of multi-strand nylon or monofilament webbing. Scientists maintain the nets vertically in the water column by several weights and floats. At other sites, scientists catch fish by angling.

Scientists track how substances accumulate through the food web. A collection of prey fish species and organisms lower on the food chain, such as zooplankton, allows food web analysis. Scientists measure the fish and record data such as species, sex, age and size. They also take samples for stable isotope analysis to confirm trophic status. Whole fish are first ground and then analyzed for substances of concern. Portions of all fish collected are frozen and saved for future analysis.

Since 1977, for the National Aquatic Biological Specimen Bank, scientists have collected and archived samples of many fish and food web items, kept frozen at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW) in Burlington, Ontario. Many use the sample archive for retrospective analysis (tracking trends in chemicals over time using stored samples). Scientists also use the samples to examine changes in the food web or changes in fish condition over time. They maintain a database with all biological data and metadata associated with each specimen. Biological data includes but is not limited to species, sex, length and age. Metadata includes sampling location, collection methods, and archival information. The database also includes the results of all chemical analyses performed on the specimen.

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Wildlife

Scientists can use bird eggs to identify chemicals that bioaccumulate in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Female birds transfer bioaccumulated chemicals into their eggs, which are easy to collect and test. Scientists use bird eggs as indicators for testing contaminants in biota. Crayfish are also good bioindicators because they are sensitive to changes in water quality. They can also accumulate contaminants either through their gills or through diet. Crayfish health can inform of the health status of the water ecosystem.

Stations 

The CMP wildlife monitoring is designed to monitor both the aquatic and the terrestrial environments. For the aquatic environment, the program collects eggs from three different gull species to monitor contaminants in aquatic food webs. CMP program scientists partner with the Great Lakes Herring Gull Contaminant Monitoring Program to collect bird eggs. They collect eggs from sites in the Great Lakes Basin. Additional CMP sampling sites are located in Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and the Atlantic regions, and the subarctic region of the territories.

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For terrestrial environments, scientists collect terrestrial songbird (starling species) eggs from urban locations. Since 2008, program scientists construct and install starling nesting boxes to facilitate egg collection. The program developed 20 nest boxes per site within five metropolitan areas. These areas include Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton, Calgary and Vancouver.

In each location, scientists compare the substances presence in the eggs found in urban/industrial centre itself to those of reference sites.

Additionally, the program constructed nesting boxes in close proximity to landfill sites for metropolitan areas. Birds feeding in landfills are exposed to substances from household products, and these substances can be detected in their eggs. The program also places these boxes in close proximity to some wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) that receive landfill leachate. This helps to integrate bird and landfill/WWTP monitoring results.

Finally, the program added a third but smaller wildlife monitoring component to assess potential local sources of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Scientists sample water and aquatic biota (crayfish) upstream and downstream of airports in Ontario. Scientists have determined that some of these streams have existing PFAS contamination because of the use of firefighting foams at airports.

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Sampling and analytical methods

Colonial waterbird egg collections consist of Herring Gulls, California Gulls, and Glaucous-winged gulls. Scientists acquire eggs from each of the species present in the colonies in each region. Scientists select colonies such that one is closer to human activities, and one is more remote (reference site). They collect a total of 15 eggs from each colony.

In urban areas, scientists collect European starling eggs in April and May. They collect five sample groups of eggs per trail, totalling 100 sample groups nationwide.

They then take egg samples for homogenization, archiving and analysis.

Scientists collect crayfish in streams draining into and out from sites immediately downstream from airports in Ontario. They collect the crayfish using kick nets. They then grab water samples from the same location as the crayfish. Scientists also collect a small number of plasma samples from nestling birds to analyze for contaminants. 

Once collected, samples are sent to ECCC Laboratories for processing. Eggs are carefully cracked and their contents are homogenized to undergo chemical analysis. This analysis includes contaminants such as metals and persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, flame retardants, PFAS) as well as dietary markers through fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). Similarly, crayfish are homogenized and analyzed for PFAS alongside the collected water samples. A subsample of each egg, as well as remaining material from other sample types, is also archived in the National Wildlife Specimen Bank, a collection of wildlife tissues that was started in 1963. These archived samples, along with thousands of others collected through different programs, can be used by scientists to retrospectively screen for new and emerging contaminants and to investigate trends.

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Wastewater

Chemicals from consumer products and industry uses are released into municipal infrastructure and then reach wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Wastewater is an important pathway for many chemical substances to the environment. The wastewater monitoring program gathers data on chemical substances entering and discharging from municipal WWTPs.

WWTPs across Canada voluntarily and anonymously participate in these activities.

Find CMP Wastewater monitoring and surveillance program datasets on the Government of Canada’s Open Data Portal.   

Stations

ECCC has developed partnerships with many municipal WWTPs throughout Canada. These municipal treatment plants represent a variety of treatment types most typically used in Canada. This includes primary, secondary, advanced and lagoon treatment types. Geographic regions include mountain, prairie, Great Lakes/St. Lawrence, and coastal. To date, over 80 WWTPs have participated in the wastewater monitoring program.

Sampling and analytical methods

Scientists collect samples of raw influent, final effluent, and biosolids annually. These samples provide information on chemical substances entering (raw influent) and leaving (final effluent and biosolids) the WWTPs.

Scientists analyze wastewater and biosolids samples for CMP priority substances. These include:

• Metals (example: cobalt, mercury, etc.)
• organic substances (example: bisphenol A, siloxanes, flame retardants, pharmaceuticals and hormones, and per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS)

The analyses are done by ECCC’s Laboratories, or commercial laboratories with demonstrated skill and accreditation for specific analyses.