cid Deposition Research PrDgram

Volume 1, Number 1

July 1985'

The McGill Inter-University Research Group nmst assess more than 3,000 peopU' in thi "blue ribbon study".

Comparison Communities

Selected for Medical Diagnostic Review

ritical to the scientific validity and successful completion of the Med- ical Diagnostic Review (MDR) now underway in the Twin Butte area is the co-operation of two comparison com- munities in Alberta.

Elected officials in the areas of Raymond- Stirling (excluding the town of Raymond) and an area north of Calgary including the towns of Didsbury, Carstairs, Cross- field, Balzac and Irricana have given their full support and co-operation in serving as comparison communities for the $3 million health study. The two areas were chosen because the population charac- teristics of the residents are most com- parable to those of residents in Twin Butte, Hillspring, Glenwood and Mountain View. These four communities are known as the

Index Area for the MDR or main study area.

An exhaustive search among communities throughout Alberta including sociodemo- graphic and geographic analyses was conducted by consultants at York Uni- versity and Statistics Canada. Principal Investigator for the study. Dr. Walter Spitzer, met with the candidate communi- ties, explained the scope of their involve- ment and asked for their support. The first two areas suggested by consultants and approached by Dr. Spitzer agreed to taking part in the study.

Dr. Spitzer, an internationally-recognized scientist in population health, is with the McGill Inter-University Health Research

Continued on Page 2

Crossfield Area and Fortress Mountain Sites for Biophysical Research Program

n area just south of Crossfield and a site at Fortress Mountain have been selected by scientists and researchers as a first step in determining the potential impact of acid deposition on Alberta's environment.

Earlier this year, the ADRP awarded a $2.9 million contract to a university/private sector team headed by the Kananaskis Centre for Environmental Research of the University of Calgary. Results of the first phase of research work, which span a 32-month period, will allow the ADRP to assess what additional scientific work will be required to determine whether acid- forming gases are causing a problem in Alberta.

The research work at the Crossfield site will include local and regional air quality assessments and agricultural crops and soils evaluation with respect to acidic deposition. The Fortress site is used as a "background" or comparison area, to determine the quality of air entering Alberta.

The Scientific Advisory Board, nine inde- pendent scientists from across North America who advise the ADRP on scien- tific matters, approved the Crossfield site for this work for a number of important reasons:

Continued on Page

I

Contmurj irum rjitt I Medical Diagnostic Review

Group who is conducting the study. The study is being funded by Alberta Social Services and Community Health, and administered under the auspices ot the Acid Deposition Research Program (ADKP). As many as 80 medical experts and support personnel will be involved in Alberta in this "blue ribbon study ". Data analyses and report preparation will take place over the tall and winter. Research results are expected some time in 1986, and they will be subject to international, scientific peer comments. Results will be made public.

Residents of the Index Atxw have had long- standing health complaints. The question the MDR is designed to answer is whether the residents ot Twin Butte, Mountain View, Mill Spring and Glenwoixl experience health pn^Mrms in •.■n-.itcr or li sscr measua* t h.in ^i' ; les in

Alberta. The study will not be addressing cause-effect relationships. lo answer this c]uestion residents will undergo a rigorous scientific evaluation, including two full physical examinations, laboratory studies and health questionnaires.

1-or the study to be scientifically valid at least "^0 per cent participation is needed in the Index Area. A community advisory group has been working with Dr. Spitzer, assisting in contacting residents, and providing input on relevance ot the study. According to Dr. Spit/er, the McGill team is encouraged by the level of participation. As of mid luly, the team had seen 1,500 of the 2,100 residents in the Index Area.

The total MDR participants in all areas will be more than 3,000. In each of the comparison communities, at least bOO a'sidents will undergo the same scientific evaluations as in the Index An*a.

Public Advisory Board Encourages Public Input

he Public Advisory lioard il'Aiii was establishtxl in the spring ot 1«383 as a reflection of the ADRP's com mitmenl "to encourage and include opp«^r tunities for public repa*sentation".

The 1V\B consists of six members, n pn senting agriculture, health care, environ- mental groups, municipal districts and counties, the general public and a voting

member -'m W^VV ■ \'. • (

mittei

Harly in Nt>5, .ADKP wu>le to assiKuilions and agencies representing these groups and asked them to nominate a ri'presi'n- tative. At the PAB's first meeting in April, the group determined the means of advis- ing the public of the need for a public a'presentatiw, and the subsct]uenl selection process.

The PAB's mandate is lo provide a broad spectrum of public input to the Members Committee, exchange information, and offer advice on public involvement, infor- mation and communications. In lune, the PAB elected its chairman. Dr. Martha Kostuch from its membership. The chair- man sits as a non-voting member of the ADRP's Members Committee.

If you have any comments or suggestions please contact one of these members:

■ Herman Bulten. Leduc - agricultural community, 086-3846;

\\.. I. ; Nsen, Woking - municipal

districts, 774-2283;

Dr. Nicholas Bayliss, Edson - health

associations. 723-4421;

Sophie Taylor, Twin Butte, general

public, 027-4532;

Dr. Martha Kostuch. Rocky Mountain House - environmental groups, 845-3608;

Dr. lohn Railton, Calgary - ADRP Members Committee, 267-3637

After enunier.iticMi of residents in the coni|-)arision communities, random com- puter selection will be made of 300 adults and 300 children.

Participation is just as critical in the comparison communities, and Dr. Spif/er has formed community advisory groups in each area to assist the team in enumera- tion and study logistics.

The McGill Inler-L'niversity team was awarded the contract this May. A scientific evaluation of the McGill proposal was done by a panel of independent senior investigators from several universities in North America who made their recom- mendations to the AL^RP. The McGill team includes scientists, consultants and clini- cians from North American universities and research groups including the Uni- versity of British Columbia, the University of Rochester I New York), I. aval University, York University, University of Texas, I larvard ami Yale.

•COALD

Comparibo

I

DIDSBURY

CARSTAIRS'

CROSSFIELD

AIRDRIE •

BALZAC

IRRICANA

CALGARY

omparison Community rF2

cnimufd imm rjf!, I Biophysical Research

Research information already exists on the effects of acidic-forming gases on forest vegetation in Alberta, but there hcis been no or^,ini/t'd research effort to Lk'U>niiinc the t llri. ts (in aj:,ricultural crops. 1 hv best poti.'nli,il lov oliserving agricul- tural crop i tti\ r\!sts w here both urban and indusli uil (.missions mix. The prox- imity to Calgary, I iighway 2 north, local and regional industrial emissions and appropriate wind p.ittiTiis, wric key factors leading to Crosstield's selection.

Although the soil at Crossfield is not ccMTsitlered [o be sensitive to acidic deposition, the scientists feel that the problem can be overcome by the use of "soil tanks" containing sensitive and tolerant soils from other agricultural areas in Alberta. Using these soils, crops which are sensitive or tolerant to acidic substances can be evaluated. This method has been used extensively in research work in the U.S. and Europe.

At this site the researchers will be able to evaluate sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, carbon dioxide and trace metals. This evaluation will help researchers integrate ADRP's biophysical and health research programs by describing and quantifying the chemical nature of the atmosphere in Southern Alberta.

Continued Page 4

PINCHER^L.*^^ I I

CREEKjf ^ \ \ J r\

I, GLENWOOD. I

ikiNG —

fimunity #1

INDEX AREA (Main Study Area) Please note: all boundaries are approximate.

physicals, lab tests, and a detailed health qucstioiuiairc.

Continued from Page Biophysical Research The 32 month research contract involves more than 50 protessional and technical people. In adclition to the resources ot the Kananaskis Centre, the scientific expertise of individuals from these organizations and companies has been retained:

■ The University of Calgary Departments of Physics, Biology, and Mathematics and Statistics;

■ Ecosat Geobotanical Surveys Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia;

■ Campbell Geoscience Ltd., Calgary, Alberta;

■ Western Research, a division ot Bow Valley Resource Services Ltd., Calgary, Alberta;

■ Soils Departmin! MImi-.i Ivrs.,nih Council;

■ NuclearHnvironmi nt.il An.n . M .i. oip.. Beaverton, Oregon;

■ Element Analysis Corporation, lalla- hassee, Florida; and

■ Lawrence Livermorc Laboratory, University ot California, Livermore, California.

Complementing the research team arc internationally-recogni/etl scientists from Canada and the U.S. in advisory roles throughout the research phases.

In addition to the work at the Crossfield site which will span a 17-month period from luly of this year, the scientists are conducting an inventory of sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in Alberta and a world literature' review in the bio- logical sciences on the effects of acid deposition on vegetation, soils, and surface and ground waters, and then placing these in an Alberta context.

The biological researchers will be submit- ting their first annual report to the ADRT Members Committee earlv in I'^So.

An Overview of the

Acid Deposition Research Program

Now in its third year, the Acid Depo- sition Research Program is a multi- million dollar undertaking by the Province, the petroleum industry and Alberta's electrical utilities to assess the environmental impact of acid-forming gases in Alberta.

Despite the fact that Alberta's industrial emissions and regulations are* among the world's most stringent, public concern persists about the possible impact of emissions on air, water, land and human systems. The ADRP has as its goals to determine and clarify justification for public concern and to identify solutions. Research is focussing on two principal gas groups; oxides of sulphur lSO») and oxides of nitrogen (NO,!. In addition, the arenas of human health research will include metals and other compounds present in acid emissions.

The program has begun tv* commission specific gas-relateil siudit-s and will publish interim reports tn the publu as research

A distinctive' liMturi' ot the ,-\ni\r is lUv development and funding ot research in two major areas: biophysical and human health. By combining studies in these two components, the program will achieve a unique integration in scientific research. Since the, program's inception, there has been an acknowledgement by all ot those involved that a co-ordinated, interdisci- plinary, holistic research plan is needed, rhe basic assumption behind this approach is that all components ot ecosystems are interrelated. Thus, it is only by under- standing chemical and biological processes within, between, and among ecosystems that re-searchers can hope to fully assess the impacts of acid deposition.

rhe biophysical a-search program is inves- tigating the impact of acid deposition on vegetation, soils and water. Lhe medical a*search program is looking into the effects on human he.ilth

A major report outlining the program's findings, condusitms and recommenda- tions will be rele.isrd at the ( ihk hision of

progresses (he project.

Membership and Percentage Participation

I V i I I'lil.ige Participation

	lor Voting
Members	and F unding
The Minister	50.00
Canadian Petroleum Association	34.60
Utilities Group	5.40
— TransAlta Utilities Corporation
— Alberta Power Limited
— The City of Edmonton
Energy Resources Conservation Board	10.00
Public Member
TOTAL	100.00%

CIPDATE

i> published regularly to provide information on the progress of the human health and biophysical research programs.

The Acid Deposition Research Program is a multi-million dollar undertaking by the

Province, the petroleum industry and Alberta's electrical utilities to assess the

environmental impact of acid forming gases in Mhert.i

For more information please contact: Fiftfi Floor

i«o« I ciof» 635 - 6tfi Avenue S.W. Jean L Flatt

Communications Co-Ordinator It^'^q'^.^'^^"^

Acid Deposition Researcfi Program ^^^^^ 266-7061

Acid

Deposition Research Program