The Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA) monitors the air quality in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through a network of 29 ambient air monitoring stations. Each station contains multiple analyzers that continuously measure the concentration of different pollutants, along with meteorological parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.
The WBEA was repeatedly approached by members of different communities in the RMWB about the odours they experienced. Currently, analyzers can measure the concentration of specific pollutants or groups of pollutants, but they cannot measure if an odour is present or how strong an odour would be.
The WBEA created the COMP App which allows people to directly provide information about the odours they experience. The App allows the WBEA to connect the information people provide about odours to the ambient air data being collected at WBEA air monitoring stations.
The App was launched in September 2017. This is the third annual report released by the WBEA and covers the year of 2020. Last year's report can be found here.
The Community Odour Monitoring Program (COMP) is dependent on community participation through the COMP app. The COMP app allows individuals throughout the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) to submit information about the odours they experience. The collected data is anonymous and is used to better understand regional odour locations, frequencies and characteristics and relate odour events with ambient air quality measurements. Since this is the third-year reporting with the COMP app, the WBEA wanted to provide a brief summary of the first three years of the program.
From the COMP app’s release in September 2017 until December 2020, there have been a total of 1020 odour observations reported in the RMWB using the app. In 2017-2018 there were 376 odour observations, while in 2019 and 2020, there were 415 and 229 odour observations submissions, respectively. Since 2017, over seventy-five percent of the odour observations were long (>60 min) or intermediate (15-60 min) in duration, with the highest number of observations occurring in the May through September period. The dominant odour type for 2020 and 2019 was 'Ammonia/Cat Urine' with 39 and 29 percent respectively, whereas for 2018 was 'Asphalt/Tar' with 36 percent. The fraction of odour observations characterized as being of high intensity1, have been steadily increasing over the past three years.
In particular, the reporting of high-intensity odours increased from 17% in 2018 to 38% in 2020, however note there was an overall lower number of odour observations in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the WBEA received odour observations from 55 unique users, and in 2018 and 2019 received observations from 95 unique users.
The overall lower annual number of odour submissions in 2020 may have been affected by factors such as the global health pandemic and related public health measures, and reduced advertising of the COMP program and App. Over the past three years the WBEA has observed a relationship between the number of observations submitted and unique users, and the amount of advertising.
The histogram below shows frequency of COMP odour observations at different locations for the 2017-2020 COMP period.
1 Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest intensity
Below is an explanation of the information collected through the App and then used by the WBEA to compare with the ambient air data collected at each station. The WBEA wants to develop an understanding of the odours people are experiencing and has provided categories for users to describe their experience.
Once an odour is at a concentration high enough to be detected by an individual, the type of odour can be described. The odour type is completely subjective based on the person, and within the COMP App there are currently seven options: Ammonia/Cat Urine, Asphalt/Tar, Fecal/Septic, Fuel/Solvent, Smoke/Burnt, Sulphur/Rotten Eggs, and Other. Users are to select the odour type that best describes, to them, the odour they are experiencing.
The intensity of an odour is the perceived strength of the odour that is being experienced by the individual and is not necessarily related to its concentration. For example, a particularly pungent odour at a low concentration may be perceived to be more intense than a less pungent substance at a higher concentration. The intensity may also depend on the individual’s sensitivity to odours.
Activity is included so that users can provide information about what they are doing when they encounter the odour; they can indicate whether they are indoors, outdoors, or driving.
Duration of odour is the length of time the user experiences the odour. This is to provide context about whether someone had a brief encounter with an odour, or experienced a long-lasting, persistent smell.
It is necessary to collect the position where the user experienced the odour so that the WBEA can compare the data to the closest ambient air monitoring station. It is also used to compare multiple observations to each other if they are submitted from the same area.
To compare odours experienced by users to the data the WBEA collects at their ambient air monitoring stations, the WBEA needs to know the date and time the user encountered the odour.
If an odour is particularly strong and a user wants to file a report with the Alberta Government, they can call their 24-hour Energy & Environmental Response line, whose number is listed on the main page of the App. When a user files a report, they will be provided with a Reference Number. The user can enter that Reference Number into the App, to show a report was filed. This is an optional field within the COMP App.
Some humans have a sensitive sense of smell and can detect odours even when chemicals are present in very low concentrations. Most odours that occur in ambient air (i.e., outdoor air that is not on an industrial site) are caused by very small traces of chemicals. The ability to smell a particular odour varies from person to person due to variations in their sensitivity and depends on the concentration of the pollutant.
Atmospheric conditions and weather can affect pollutants that have been released into the air. As an air pollutant, which may or may not have an odour, is transported from the source from which it was emitted to a community, the pollutant mixes into the surrounding air so that it arrives at a much lower concentration than it was when it initially emitted. The concentration of an air pollutant that reaches a community is due to many variables, including the amount of the pollutant released at the source, the height of the source above ground-level, the distance from the source to the community, the surrounding topography, and local weather conditions. The most important weather influences are wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, sunlight, and the amount of turbulence/mixing in the atmosphere. Generally, strong winds disperse pollutants, whereas light winds can allow pollutants to build up over an area. The wind direction determines where emissions are transported.
Total Reduced Sulphurs (TRS) are a large group of sulphur-containing compounds, including hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and mercaptans. Many TRS compounds can produce offensive odours at low concentrations. Due to the sulphur, TRS compounds tend to have a smell similar to rotten eggs. Concentrations of H2S and TRS are measured in parts per billion (ppb), but some TRS compounds are odorous at parts per trillion concentrations (ppt) and therefore not detected in TRS measurements.
Hydrocarbons are a large group of compounds, which are either measured as total hydrocarbons (THC), or due to new monitoring technology, can be split into methane (a single carbon atom = C1) and non-methane hydrocarbons (the sum of all C2 to C12 hydrocarbon compounds). Methane itself does not have an odour – a smelly chemical is usually added to methane to allow you to smell it when you are using Natural Gas. Methane from industrial combustion does not have the additive, so will not have an odour. Methane is also present naturally in the air, at a concentration of about 1.8 parts per million (ppm).
However, many other hydrocarbons besides methane, called the “non-methane hydrocarbon” (NMHC) portion, may have odours and may have them at very low concentrations. Depending on the substance, they may smell like rotten cabbage, smelly socks, or eggs. Concentrations of NMHC are measured in parts per million (ppm).
The WBEA monitors sulphur dioxide (SO2) due to sulphur emissions from the oil sands industry. SO2 is emitted when fuel containing sulphur is combusted. Generally, ambient concentrations of SO2 are not high enough for people to detect. However, we use ambient air concentrations of SO2 to indicate the potential presence of an industrial emission. That industrial emission may contain other, more odorous compounds which may be the cause of the odours people are experiencing. This can help distinguish the industrial odours from other local sources like construction, road work, and sewage plants. Concentrations of SO2 are measured in parts per billion (ppb).
Air Monitoring Stations These are all the Air Monitoring Stations the WBEA operates.
Community Air Monitoring Stations The Community Air Monitoring Stations are the stations the WBEA operates within the communities of the RMWB. The WBEA used the data from community stations to compare to the submitted COMP odour observations.
In 2020, a total of 229 odour observations were submitted through the COMP app from 55 unique users. The bar graph panel below shows these observations sorted by the different information users submitted about the odours they experienced.
The most common odour type identified was ammonia/cat urine (89), followed closely by asphalt/tar (76). Most odours were ranked highly on the intensity scale1, with 88 odours receiving a 'strong' intensity, while more than half of odours (133) were reported to have a long (>60 minutes) duration. Odours were mostly experienced during daylight hours and on all days of the week. In 2020, the highest number of odour observations were submitted during May and June period. This is likely because people spend more time outside in these months and are therefore more likely to notice the presence of odours. This was confirmed by the activity type, with most users reporting they were outdoors (107) when they experienced the odour. The majority of submissions were in the Fort McMurray area (161), followed by Highway 63/Industrial (51), Fort McKay (9), and Anzac (8). In 2020, there were no submissions from Conklin, Janvier, or Fort Chipewyan.
1 Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest intensity
This section provides the breakdown of odour observations received in each community within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The map shows the location of all the observations received between January 2020-December 2020. The histograms show the distribution of the number of observations received at different ambient concentrations of the pollutants of interest. For the most part, observations are submitted when ambient concentrations are low.
The last part of the Community Breakdown is the pollution and wind roses; they’re used to show the prevailing wind direction (wind rose) when observations were submitted, and the prevailing wind direction plus ambient concentration of pollutants (pollution rose) when observations were submitted.
From January 2020-December 2020, 8 observations were received from Anzac.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
The following histograms show the distribution of different air quality and meteorological parameters. This is not representative of the whole year; it only shows the conditions when odour observations were submitted through the COMP App between January 2020-December 2020.
NMHC (ppm)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
SO2 (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
TRS (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
Wind Speed (km/hour)
Calms 0.00%
Wind Roses
The wind rose shows the direction, speed, and frequency of winds at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different speeds of the wind, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the wind was travelling from that direction and that speed.
There is no data from this community!
If you are experiencing odours in your community and want to participate in COMP, download our App by searching "WBEA" on the Apple App store or the Google Play store. Your observations will be included in next year's report.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
There is no data from this community!
If you are experiencing odours in your community and want to participate in COMP, download our App by searching "WBEA" on the Apple App store or the Google Play store. Your observations will be included in next year's report.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
From January 2020-December 2020, 9 observations were received from Fort McKay.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
The following histograms show the distribution of different air quality and meteorological parameters. This is not representative of the whole year; it only shows the conditions when odour observations were submitted through the COMP App between January 2020-December 2020.
NMHC (ppm)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
SO2 (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
TRS (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
Wind Speed (km/hour)
Calms 0.00%
Wind Roses
The wind rose shows the direction, speed, and frequency of winds at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different speeds of the wind, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the wind was travelling from that direction and that speed.
From January 2020-December 2020, 161 observations were received from Fort McMurray.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
The following histograms show the distribution of different air quality and meteorological parameters. This is not representative of the whole year; it only shows the conditions when odour observations were submitted through the COMP App between January 2020-December 2020.
NMHC (ppm)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
SO2 (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
TRS (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
Wind Speed (km/hour)
Calms 0.00%
Wind Roses
The wind rose shows the direction, speed, and frequency of winds at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different speeds of the wind, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the wind was travelling from that direction and that speed.
From January 2020-December 2020, 51 observations were received from along Highway 63 North.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
The following histograms show the distribution of different air quality and meteorological parameters. This is not representative of the whole year; it only shows the conditions when odour observations were submitted through the COMP App between January 2020-December 2020.
NMHC (ppm)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
SO2 (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
TRS (ppb)
Pollution Roses
The pollution rose shows the pollutant concentration and wind direction at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different concentrations of the pollutant, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the pollutant concentration was associated with that wind direction.
Wind Speed (km/hour)
Calms 0.00%
Wind Roses
The wind rose shows the direction, speed, and frequency of winds at each community station when odour observations were submitted, between January 2020 and December 2020. The triangles indicate the direction the wind is coming from, the colours within the triangles show the different speeds of the wind, and the size of the bars within the triangles shows the percentage of time the wind was travelling from that direction and that speed.
There is no data from this community!
If you are experiencing odours in your community and want to participate in COMP, download our App by searching "WBEA" on the Apple App store or the Google Play store. Your observations will be included in next year's report.
Ammonia/Cat Urine
Asphalt/Tar
Fecal
Fuel
Smoke
Sulphur
Other
Community Air Monitoring Station
From 2017 to 2019, an “odour event day” was defined as a day with at least four odour observations submitted by different users from the same geographical location.
In 2020, the number of observations required to consider any given date as an “odour event day” was adjusted to account for the various community sizes within the RMWB and their proximity to industry operations.
For example, an odour event day in Fort McMurray, which is the largest community within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, was defined as when four or more unique user observations were submitted on the same day. However, an odour event day in Fort McKay was determined to be when two or more unique user observations were noted on the same day. Lastly, an odour event for Anzac, Janvier, Conklin and Fort Chipewyan communities was documented when there was at least one odour observation submission.
In 2020, a total of fourteen days met these criteria: seven odour event days in Fort McMurray, two in Fort McKay, and five in the Anzac area. Air quality and meteorological data would indicate that most of the events were associated with industrial emissions. However, only one odour event in the vicinity of an air monitoring station north of Fort McMurray coincided with a 1-hour Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objective (AAAQO) exceedance which was for H2S.
The map below the graph displays the location of the recorded odours. Select a day below for the details of each odour event day.
On January 4, two observations were submitted by the same user driving north on Highway 63. The first observation was submitted at 20:10 as 'Asphalt/Tar', and the second observation was submitted at 20:15 and described as 'Smoke' . The nearest air monitoring stations in relation to the first and second observation are Surmont 2 (55 km away) and Anzac (35 km away), respectively.
Neither air monitoring station recorded high levels of SO2, TRS, H2S or NMHC during this time. Please note that distance of the monitoring stations from the location of the odour observations may be too far for instruments to detect any change in odour-causing compounds.
The wind was from the northwest direction and with moderate speed (26 km/hour).
The first observation was likely an indicator of an industrial emission and the second observation related to local wood combustion.
On May 31, two observations were submitted at 16:30 by two different users in Fort McKay. One of the observations characterized the odour as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine' and the other as 'Fuel'. A third odour observation was recorded later that day at 17:30 on Highway 63 south of Fort McKay and reported as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine'.
Neither the Bertha Ganter nor the Waskōw ohci Pimâtisiwin monitoring sites in Fort McKay recorded unusually elevated levels of SO2. However, between 16:00 to 18:00, NMHC at Bertha Ganter reached 98th percentile concentrations (> 0.3 ppm), and TRS concentrations increased to over 1 ppb. NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 1-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for H2S is 10 ppb.
Winds were light and coming from the north-northwest direction.
The NMHC and TRS increase coincided with the time the odour observations were submitted and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission that could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations coincided with a shift in wind direction from the north (the direction of industrial facilities) and light wind speed.
On May 31, nine observations were submitted by nine different users in Fort McMurray. This was the second-highest number of same-day observations in 2020. The observations were from different locations in Fort McMurray, with seven reporting the odour as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine', one as 'Sulphur', and one as 'Other'. The observations were submitted between 22:30 and 23:50 with seven users reporting being indoors at the time.
The two air monitoring stations in Fort McMurray, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley, recorded low TRS and NMHC levels. However, there was an increase in hourly SO2 concentrations at the Athabasca Valley air monitoring station from 0.1 ppb at 22:00 to 3.5 ppb at 23:00. AAAQO exceedance limit for 1-hour SO2 is 172 ppb and for 24 hours is 48 ppb. Note, that during the time of the observations H2S at the industrial monitoring sites were low (<4 ppb), however prior to the observations NMHC levels were elevated.
Early in the day winds were light coming from the southeast, but during the evening, the wind speed increased, and wind direction changed to north and north-northwest.
The change in wind direction likely transported an industrial emission containing other odour-causing compounds (other than TRS or NMHC) across the city.
On June 3, one observation was recorded approximately 0.5 km from the Anzac air quality monitoring station. The observation was submitted at 08:15 and reported as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine'. During this time TRS and NMHC levels did not observe an increase at the Anzac monitoring site.
Wind speed was moderate and coming from the west.
The Anzac air monitoring station did not record elevated readings for any odour causing compounds during this timeframe. It is not clear what may have caused the odour for this observation.
On June 3, fifteen observations were submitted by twelve users in Fort McMurray. This was the highest number of odours reported in one day for 2020. The observations were submitted from various locations in Fort McMurray, with eleven reporting the odour as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine', two as 'Asphalt/Tar', and two as 'Other'.
The observations were made between 09:00 and 16:00, with six submitted between 12:30 and 13:40.
The two air monitoring stations in Fort McMurray, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley, recorded an increase in SO2 with an hourly average of 11.3 ppb at Patricia McInnes at 11:00, and 9.1 ppb at Athabasca Valley at 13:00. TRS hourly averages were low at Patricia McInnes, but increased at Athabasca Valley to 2.8 ppb at 13:00. NMHC levels were low at both air monitoring stations.
NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 24-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for SO2 is 48 ppb.
Wind speeds were moderate coming from the north-northwest direction.
Increase in SO2 and TRS at the Athabasca Valley air monitoring station coincided with time of submitted odour observations and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations correspond to wind direction from the north-northwest (the direction of the industrial facilities) and moderate wind speed.
On June 25, seven observations were submitted by four users in Fort McMurray, mostly from the Timberlea and Thickwood Heights neighbourhoods. The observations were recorded between 08:30 and 12:05, with four reported as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine', two as 'Asphalt/Tar', and one as 'Fuel'.
Fort McMurray has two air monitoring stations, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley.
Hourly SO2 concentrations at Patricia McInnes air monitoring station increased from less than 1 ppb at 07:00 to 27 ppb at 09:00. During this time, TRS increased from 0.2 ppb to 1.1 ppb, and NMHC increased from < 0.1 ppm to 0.26 ppm. Similarly, TRS, NMHC and SO2 increased at the Athabasca Valley station, however the SO2 peak hourly average of 6.8 ppb was lower than that measured at Patricia McInnes. The highest hourly average TRS at Athabasca Valley was 1.4 ppb, and for NMHC the highest hourly average was 0.19 ppm.
NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 24-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for SO2 is 48 ppb.
The wind was moderate, coming from a north to north-northeast direction.
Increase in SO2, TRS, and NMHC concentrations coincided with time of the odour observation submission and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations corresponded with wind direction from the north (the direction of the industrial facilities) and moderate wind speed.
On June 26, seven observations were submitted by six different users in Fort McMurray. Most of the observations were submitted between 16:45 and 22:20 from the Timberlea and Thickwood Heights neighbourhoods. One observation reported the odour type as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine', three as 'Asphalt/Tar', two as 'Fuel', and one as 'Sulphur'.
Fort McMurray has two air monitoring stations, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley.
Hourly SO2 concentrations at Patricia McInnes increased from near 0 ppb at 15:00 to 8 ppb at 17:00, then back to 0 ppb and up to 10 ppb at 21:00. For both, this increase coincided with a shift in wind direction from west to north. Hourly average TRS increased to 0.6 ppb alongside SO2 at Patricia McInnes air monitoring station with NMHC showing a slight increase from near zero to 0.1 ppm from 21:00 to 23:00.
An increase in SO2 was detected at the Athabasca Valley station as well, with hourly average SO2 increasing from near zero to 3.7 ppb at 17:00 to 7.5 ppb at 21:00. The Athabasca Valley station had a peak hourly average TRS concentration of 1.4 ppb at 21:00, whereas NMHC concentrations stayed near zero the entire day.
NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 24-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for SO2 is 48 ppb.
Wind speeds were moderate.
SO2, TRS, and NMHC concentration increase coincided with time of odour observations and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations corresponded with shift in wind direction from west to north (the direction of the industrial facilities).
On June 28, six observations were submitted by different users in Fort McMurray, with four from Timberlea and Thickwood Heights and two from downtown Fort McMurray. Four observations were submitted between 07:15 and 10:40, and two between 15:45 and 15:55. Two of the observations reported odour as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine', three as 'Asphalt/Tar' and one as 'Fuel'.
Fort McMurray has two air monitoring stations, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley. Both stations recorded an increase in hourly average NMHC during the morning observations. NMHC increased from near zero to 0.17 ppm at 07:00 at Patricia McInnes, and from near zero to 0.14 ppm at 07:00 at Athabasca Valley. Similarly during the morning, hourly average TRS concentrations at Patricia McInnes increased from 0.3 ppb to over 1 ppb, and hourly average NMHC increased to 0.17 ppm. SO2 concentrations exceeded 7 ppb for both morning and afternoon observations.
Hourly average TRS concentrations at Athabasca Valley station were close to 1 ppb in the morning and reached 2.2 ppb in the afternoon, whereas hourly average SO2 peaked to 7.7 ppb at 16:00.
NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 24-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for SO2 is 48 ppb.
In the morning, winds were light coming from the northwest, and in the afternoon, winds increased to moderate speed and coming from the north-northwest direction.
The increase in SO2, TRS, and NMHC coincided with time of odour observations and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations coincided with wind direction from the north (the direction of the industrial facilities).
On July 8, five observations were submitted by three different users in Fort McMurray's Timberlea and Thickwood Heights neighbourhoods. Two observations were submitted around 07:00, two around 18:30 and one at 20:00. The reported odour types were all different: 'Ammonia/Cat Urine', 'Asphalt/Tar', 'Fuel', 'Sulphur', and 'Fecal'.
Fort McMurray has two air monitoring stations, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley.
At 6:00, hourly average TRS concentrations at Patricia McInnes increased from 0.3 ppb to over 3.0, SO2 concentrations reached 9 ppb, and NMHC increased from near zero to 0.19 ppm.
The Athabasca Valley station at 07:00 recorded a lower hourly SO2 average (0.1 ppb) than Patricia McInnes, TRS of 0.7 ppb, and an hourly average NMHC of 0.17 ppm. In the afternoon, hourly average SO2 at Patricia McInnes reached 3.5 ppb at 18:00 and 3.9 ppb at 20:00, with an hourly average TRS concentration of 0.6 ppb measured at 21:00. At Athabasca Valley, an hourly average SO2 concentration of 3 ppb was measured at 18:00 and an hourly average TRS concentration of 0.5 ppb was measured at 20:00.
NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 24-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for SO2 is 48 ppb.
The wind was from the north-northwest direction with moderate wind speeds.
SO2, TRS, and NMHC increase during the morning coincided with time of submitted odour observations,and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations coincided with wind direction from the north (the direction of the industrial facilities). The afternoon observations showed a small increase in SO2 and TRS with winds persisting from the north likely indicating an industrial emission.
Two observations were submitted by the same user driving north on Highway 63. The first observation was submitted at 16:45 and described as 'Sulphur', and the second was submitted at 16:55 and described as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine'. The nearest air monitoring station to the first and second observation was Surmont 2 (45 km away) and Anzac (45 km away), respectively.
On August 9, the Anzac monitoring site has a data gap due to a power outage at the station between 12:25-15:20 and 18:05-18:35. Usually following a power outage, analyzers at the station require additional stabilization time, which contributes to the overall data loss. The Surmont 2 station showed no increase in H2S or SO2. Please note that distance of the monitoring stations from the location of the odour observations may be too far for instruments to detect any change in odour-causing compounds.
The wind was from the northwest direction with moderate speed (25 km/h).
The odour observations were likely an indicator of an industrial plume which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds.
On September 7, one observation was submitted in Anzac approximately 5 km from the Anzac air quality monitoring station. The observation was submitted at 17:40 and reported as 'Asphalt/Tar'.
Hourly average for SO2, TRS, and NMHC at the Anzac monitoring statioin did not show increased concentrations before the observation, but increased immediately after.
Winds were light and coming from the northwest direction.
It is not clear what the source of the odour was for this observation, but it is possibly due to the industrial plume which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds.
On November 2, four observations were submitted by three different users in Fort McMurray, two from Timberlea and two from the downtown neighbourhoods. Two observations were submitted between 07:45 and 08:30, one was submitted at 10:50, and one at 15:45. Three of the observations reported the odour as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine' and one as 'Fuel'.
Fort McMurray has two air monitoring stations, Patricia McInnes and Athabasca Valley.
Prior to the earliest observations on November 2, the hourly SO2 average increased from 5 to 9 ppb at Patricia McInnes, while TRS and NMHC average concentrations remained low or near zero. Later in the day, the hourly SO2 average increased to 2 ppb prior to the 15:45 observation and peaked around 21:00 at 4.1 ppb. Hourly NMHC average concentrations reached 0.13 ppm at 15:00.
At 17:00, the Athabasca Valley station recorded peak hourly average for SO2 (11 ppb), TRS (2.3 ppb) and NMHC (0.56 ppm) concentrations. NMHC levels were exceeding 0.5 ppm for most of the afternoon and evening hours. The hourly NMHC average concentration during this period represented some of the highest measured values at this location in 2020.
NMHC and TRS do not currently have Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives or Guidelines (AAAQO/G); however, in the WBEA network, TRS concentrations are reported using the H2S AAAQOs. The 24-hour average AAAQO exceedance limit for SO2 is 48 ppb.
A light wind originated from the north and north-northwest direction.
Increase in the SO2, TRS, and NMHC concentrations coincided with time of submitted odour observations and were likely an indicator of an industrial plume which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. NMHC concentrations were high compared to usual readings at Athabasca Valley for this period. The observations coincided with shift in wind direction from the north, direction of industrial facilities, and light wind speed.
One observation was submitted at 12:00 by a user driving South on Highway 63 and described as 'Asphalt/Tar'.
The closest air monitoring stations to the observation were Surmont 2 and Anzac, both located approximately 55 km away. Neither monitoring site recorded unusually high levels of SO2, H2S, TRS nor NMHC at the this time. Please note that distance of the monitoring stations from the location of the odour observations may be too far for instruments to detect any change in odour-causing compounds.
Winds were light and coming from the northwest direction.
The odour observatios was likely an indicator of an industrial plume which could be carrying other odour-causing compounds.
Two observations were submitted on December 23 in Fort McKay by the same user. The observations were submitted at 14:40 and at 23:50, both described as 'Ammonia/Cat Urine'.
The two air monitoring sites in Fort McKay are the Bertha Ganter Fort McKay and Waskōw ohci Pimâtisiwin. The Bertha Ganter site recorded low NMHC, and elevated SO2 and TRS for most of the day. Similarly, at the Waskōw ohci Pimâtisiwin station, hourly SO2 and H2S concentrations were also elevated during the time period spanning the two observations.
Wind was from the south and southwest direction with light speed.
Elevated SO2, TRS, and H2S concentrations coincided with time of odour observation submission and were likely an indicator of an industrial emission which also could be carrying other odour-causing compounds. The observations coincided with wind direction from the south and southwest (the direction of a number of the industrial facilities) and light wind speed.
The Community Odour Monitoring Program is still going on. To participate and provide information on the odours you experience in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo:
The information collected is anonymous and will be used for research purposes only.
The Wood Buffalo Environmental Association is a partner of Alberta Environment and Parks.
This work was funded under the Oil Sands Monitoring (OSM) Program. It is independent of any position of the OSM Program.
