City of Toronto Assessment of Cumulative Health Impacts

8/13/2019 City of Toronto Assessment of Cumulative Health Impacts

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Local Air Quality Study

Etobicoke-Lakeshore

Wards 5 & 6

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Agenda

Welcome Mike Logan, Supervisor, Public Consultation

Introduction

Mark Bekkering, Manager of Implementation & Support,

Environment & Energy Division

Air Quality Study

Christopher Morgan, Air Quality Program Manager,


Health Analysis & Findings

Stephanie Gower, Research Consultant, Toronto Public Health

Next Steps

Christopher Morgan, Air Quality Program Manager,


Q & A

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Introduction

Jim BaxterDirector, Environment & Energy Division

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Purpose of the Study

1. Identify the sources and concentrations of 30 substances thathave the most impact on local air quality.

2. Compare concentrations of the 30 substances with air quality

standards.

3. Assess the cumulative health impacts of all 30 substances,

grouped by category:

carcinogens;

non-carcinogenic toxics; and

criteria air contaminants.

4. Set priorities and determine strategies to reduce exposure and

improve the health of Toronto residents.

5. Report to Parks and Environment Committee on March 3, 2014.

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Local Air Quality StudyMethod & Findings

Christopher Morgan, PhDEnvironment & Energy Division

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Outline

Air Quality Modelling

30 Pollutants Examined Results & Findings

Conclusions

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Local Air Quality Model

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AIR EMISSIONS

- Data

MODELS -

Meteorological &

Air Quality

CONCENTRATIONS

of 30 Air Contaminants

Mapped


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3 Nested Modelling Areas

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Emissions Data Used

Areas:

NE USA

Ontario

Toronto

Types:

Industrial POINTSources

Mobile LINESources

Stationary AREASources

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Modelling, Monitoring &

Mapping

Modelling Data verified very well against Data

from fourMOE Monitoring Stations

Model produced 1,048 equivalent data points(Virtual Monitoring Stations) - 200m apart

Data of 1,048 virtual monitoring stationsis the Basis of High Quality Mapping & Analysis

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MOEs 4 AQ Monitoring Stations

in Toronto

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Emissions Concentrations:

Area

Emission amounts DO NOT relate directly toresultant concentration amounts

Large emission amounts from distant upwind sources

are often less significant than small emissionamounts from nearby smaller sources

Distant sources typically contribute evenly to the

background levels of downwind concentrations

Nearby smaller sources typically contribute to local

specific areas (on top of the background)13


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Emissions Concentrations:

Height

e.g. High Stacks versus Low Tailpipes

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High

Stack

Low Car

Exhaust NBAlso few high sources versus

many low sources

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Sources of Torontos

Pollution

Northeast US

39%

Southern

Ontario

25%

16%

12%

4%

4%

Toronto

36%

Residential + Commercial

Mobile

Non-Road Mobile

Industrial

NB - Air pollution at ground level


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Local Air Quality Model

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AIR EMISSIONS

- Data

MODELS -

Meteorological &

Air Quality

CONCENTRATIONS

of 30 Air Contaminants

Mapped


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30 Priority Air Contaminants

1. Acetaldehyde

2. Acrolein

3. Benzene

4. 1,3-Butadiene

5. Cadmium

6. Carbon Monoxide7. Carbon tetrachloride

8. Chloroform

9. Chloromethane

10. Chromium

11. 1,4-Dichlorobenzene12. 1,2-Dichloroethane

13. Dichloromethane

14. Ethylene dibromide

15. Formaldehyde

16. Lead

17. Manganese

18. Mercury

19. Nickel compounds

20. Nitrogen Oxides

21. PAHs (as B[a]Ps)22. PM1023. PM2.524. Tetrachloroethylene

25. Toluene

26. Trichloroethylene27. Vinyl Chloride

28. Sulfur Dioxide

29. VOCs (Anthro. & Biogenic)

30. Ozone

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Map Types [ potentially 480 Maps]

COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT MAPS show: Comparison to MOEs Desirable Ambient Air Quality Criteria

(AAQC) standards of our modelled concentrations for 30

contaminants

ANALYSIS MAPS show: Local emission sourceseffectively link Sources + Specific

Areas

Worst Case 24-Hour Maps

98thPercentile Maps [re Worst Case]

Annual Average Maps

CUMULATIVE HEALTH RISK MAPS

Consider the health risks of exposure to multiple contaminants18

A bi Ai Q li C i i


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Ambient Air Quality Criteria

(AAQC)

An AAQC is a desirable concentration of a contaminant

in air, based on protection against adverse effects on

health or the environment.

The term ambient is used to reflect general air quality

independent of location or source of a contaminant.

AAQCs are most commonly used in environmental

assessment of general air quality in a community and

annual reporting on air quality across the Province.

(MOE Standards Branch, 2012)

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C li M


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Compliance Maps

as % of AAQC

For each of the 30 contaminants we set theMOEs AAQC (or equivalent) to 100% and map

concentrations against that [between 0% and

150%]

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Compliance Maps:

Colour Coded by Significance

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Purple(2)

No AAQC standard established

Blue

(3)

Far Below 1% of AAQC

(i.e. < 0.000,000,000,000,000,01)

Yellow

(17)

Less than 10% of AAQC

Green(3)

Greater than 10% but Less than 100% of AAQC

Red

(5)

Greater than 100% AAQC


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1. Acetaldehyde

2. Acrolein

3. Benzene

4. 1,3-Butadiene

5. Cadmium


8. Chloroform

9. Chloromethane

10. Chromium


13. Dichloromethane


15. Formaldehyde

16. Lead17. Manganese

18. Mercury


20. Nitrogen Oxides


25. Toluene


28. Sulfur Dioxide


30. Ozone

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H l th


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How we analyze the

maps & data

Identify areas of high concentrations (on maps)

Identify emission source areas (tier maps)

Identify emission source type (on databases)

Confirm currency of data type (2006 & 2012)

Liaise with MOE and Stakeholders

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Si ifi C i E i i


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Significant Contaminant Emissions

by Source Type

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Cars &

Trucks

Residential

Commercial

Airports Industrial

Nitrogen Oxides o o oBenzo[a]pyrene o oPM10 o o oPM2.5 o o

Benzene o1,3 Butadiene oAcrolein o oCadmium oCarbon Monoxide o oFormaldehyde

o oMercury o oChromium o oAcetaldehyde oManganese oSulphur Dioxide o o


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1. Acetaldehyde

2. Acrolein

3. Benzene

4. 1,3-Butadiene

5. Cadmium


8. Chloroform

9. Chloromethane

10. Chromium


13. Dichloromethane


15. Formaldehyde

16. Lead17. Manganese

18. Mercury


20. Nitrogen Oxides


25. Toluene


28. Sulfur Dioxide


30. Ozone

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Compliance Maps as % of AAQC

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1 3 Butadiene &


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1,3 Butadiene &

1,4 Dichlorobenzene

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Acrolein & Sulphur Dioxide

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Compliance Maps as % of AAQC

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RED = 150% and Greater


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Benzo[a]pyrene


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Benzo[a]pyrene

Compliance & Analysis

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PM10


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PM10


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PM2 5


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PM2.5


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Air quality conclusions

The significance of larger industrial emissionsources in Wards 5 & 6 (based on NPRI data) is

declining due to manufacturing process

improvements & company closures.

The significance of smaller industrial &

commercial sources (ChemTRAC data) has still

to be modelled & fully evaluated.

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For five substances, levels are elevated and are clearlylinked to vehicle traffic:

Nitrogen Oxides

Benzene

Benzo[a]pyrene

Particulate Matter < 10 microns (PM10)

Particulate Matter < 12.5 microns (PM2.5)

The geographic variation of vehicle emissions is clearly

linked to traffic volumes and vehicle type (i.e. cars versus

trucks).

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Air quality conclusions


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Assessment of Cumulative HealthImpacts

Stephanie GowerToronto Public Health

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Air Pollution and Health

Air pollution is amixture of manydifferent types ofchemicals

Our exposuretothese pollutantsdepends on factorssuch as

how much isemitted

the wind andweather

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Different chemicals canhave different kinds ofhealth impacts, dependingon how they interact withour body: Neurological,

developmental,immunological

Cancer

Heart disease and lungdisease

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Different chemicals

also have different

levels of toxicity

Some can beharmful at low levels

of exposure, while

others are only a

concern at higherlevels of exposure

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Vulnerability

Some people are morevulnerable to the healthimpacts from air pollutionthan others

Young children The elderly (seniors) Pregnant women People with asthma People with heart and lung

conditions

Smokers People who work or exercise

outdoors

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30 Priority Air Contaminants Studied

1. Acetaldehyde2. Acrolein

3. Benzene

4. 1,3-Butadiene

5. Cadmium

6. Carbon tetrachloride

7. Chloroform

8. Chloromethane

9. Chromium

10. 1,4-Dichlorobenzene

11. 1,2-Dichloroethane

12. Dichloromethane


14. Formaldehyde

15. Lead

16. Manganese17. Mercury


19. Nitrogen Oxides

20. PAHs (as B[a]Ps)

21. PM2.5

22. Tetrachloroethylene

23. Toluene

24. Trichloroethylene

25. Vinyl Chloride

26. Carbon Monoxide

27. PM10

28. Sulfur Dioxide

29. VOC (anthropogenic/Biogenic)

30. Ozone

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Non-carcinogens

Non-carcinogens are toxicsubstances that may beassociated with health effectssuch as Developmental

Neurological

Reproductive.

Non-carcinogens have athresholdfor effects.

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Non-carcinogens

Considered

together, the 22

non-carcinogensincluded in the study

are not expected to

be present at levels

that pose a health

concern.

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Carcinogens

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Carcinogens are toxic

substances that are associated

with a risk of cancer.

There is some level of risk even

at low levels of exposure.

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Carcinogens

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Considered together, thecarcinogens included inthe study may bepresent at levels thatpose a health concern.

The risk from allcarcinogens together is44 in one million(excluding benzo[a]pyrene)

Further validation isneeded forbenzo[a]pyrene

Main source of cancerrisk is transportation

C i i Ai C i


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Criteria Air Contaminants

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Criteria Air Contaminants are

pollutants that are associated

mainly with higher risks of heart

and lung diseases.

These effects can occur at any

level of exposure.

C it i Ai C t i t


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Criteria Air Contaminants

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Considered together, the

criteria air contaminants

may increase the risk of

premature mortality by

7.4 per cent.

Risk is consistent with

Toronto Public Healths

estimate that air pollution

is associated with about

1,700 premature deaths

a year in Toronto.

Transportation and

industry are main

sources of risk.


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Next Steps

Christopher Morgan, PhDEnvironment & Energy Division

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Next Steps

Transportation EmissionsIn 2007, Toronto Public Health estimated that traffic across Toronto

contributes to 400 premature deaths and 1700 hospitalizations

Advocate for improved transportation emissions standards

Work with various ministries (Environment, Health, Transportation)

and within the City of Toronto (Toronto Public Health, City Planning,

TTC and Transportation) regarding vehicle emissions, especially

trucks.

Connect with other major Canadian cities, all experience similar

issues.

Collectively advocate for improved emissions standards across Canada

& North America.

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NO A l & PM A l


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NOxAnnual & PM2.5 Annual

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Next Steps

Urban Planning & Urban Design

Input was provided to Provincial Policy Statement and the Citys

Official Plan to support:

active transportation and an efficient transit system

mixed-use planning and safety for all road users

urban and street design to encourage mode shift climate adaptation

Improve building design to encourage better ventilation of vehicle

pollution in urban canyons as well as adjacent to highways.

Toolkit for urban planners. (in progress) Test & develop concepts. standards

Develop appropriate designs & configurations from

3-dimensional AQ modelling & technical analysis of downtown tall

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Next Steps

Improve air modelling: Re-run ozone model (observation based model) to better

address smog issues

Model ChemTRAC data

Emissions from small/medium sized businesses

Add as another single layer and sum together

Mobile neighbourhood AQ monitor

Integrate within 18 neighbourhoods approach Community update

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Next Steps

Community Facilitator: Connect community organizations, residents,

businesses, industries, associations and City

divisions. Assist the community with identifying projects and

building capacity to take action.

Provide information and resources on sustainable

transportation, energy conservation, pollutionprevention (ChemTRAC) etc.

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Next Steps

Tell us how the Community Facilitator can help you

improve local air quality.

Information

Support

Examples of projects:

Community and food gardens

Tree planting and park naturalization

Renewable energy

Waste and water reduction Eco events

Cycling

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Actions to improve air quality


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Actions to improve air quality

Reduce natural gas consumption

Clean furnace filters, lower thermostat settings.

Upgrade insulation in your home.

Use less hot water.

Drive less

Leave the car at homebike, walk or take transit

Smart Commute

Green your homes, schools and neighbourhood.

Visit the Live Green Toronto display or livegreentoronto.cafor more information.


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Questions & Answers

www.toronto.ca/localairquality

Mike Logan

Public Consultation

Documents

City of Toronto Assessment of Cumulative Health Impacts