Ambient Air Quality Objectives

Introduction

Alberta's Ambient Air Quality Objectives are intended to provide protection of the environment and human health to an extent technically and economically feasible, as well as socially and politically acceptable.

Read the Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives and Guidelines Summary

Use of objectives

The objectives are used to:

assess compliance near major industrial air emission sources
establish approval conditions for regulated industrial facilities
evaluate proposals for constructing facilities
guide special ambient air quality surveys
inform Albertans on air quality through an air quality index
report on the state of Alberta's atmospheric environment

The Alberta government ensures that emissions from human activities will be minimized and that air quality continues to be better than the Ambient Air Quality Objectives.

Factors objectives are based on

These objectives are based on scientific, social, technical and economic factors including:

Monitoring – Can the substance be routinely monitored in the atmosphere?
Natural levels and fluctuations – Do substances fluctuate as they enter the atmosphere from natural but uncontrollable sources (for example, forest fires)?
Sensitive receptors – Is one component of the environment or one stage in an organism's development more sensitive than another?
Substance behaviour in the atmosphere – What reactions do a substance undergo and how long is the substance in the air?
Substance behaviour in the environment – Can the substance bioaccumulate or biodegrade after entering the environment?
Technological availability – What is the cost and availability of technology to control or avoid emissions?

Consultation

The department has been reviewing ambient air quality objectives by multi-stakeholder consultation since 2000. Alberta now has air quality objectives for more than 30 substances that could be released to the atmosphere.

Mailing list

The department has an automatic emailing system that will distribute information on ambient air quality objectives to those who subscribe to the list. Subscription to this list is open to all department staff, industry, NGOs and consultants, as well as members of the general public.

Check that your email address is correct before you subscribe. If you do not receive a confirmation email after you have subscribed your subscription was not successful.

The personal information collected through the Ambient Air Quality Objectives webpage may be used for the purpose of providing you with an Ambient Air Quality Objectives Mailing List subscription to receive provincial air quality policy and modelling updates.

This personal information collection is authorized under Section 8 (1) (2) of the Government Organization Act, and is being managed in accordance with Section 33 (c) of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

If you have any questions about this collection of personal information, you may contact the Senior Ambient Standards Specialist at 780-427-4979 or by email at: [email protected]

Industrial air management

The following document provides guidance for the implementation of Ambient Air Quality Objectives and their use in air dispersion modelling and ambient air monitoring:

Using Ambient Air Quality Objectives in Industrial Dispersion Modelling and Individual Industrial Site Monitoring

This document is currently under revision and an updated version will be posted after revisions are complete.

Supporting documents

The AAQO documents provide a short description of the substance, the effects and the objective levels. The supporting documents are detailed reports providing scientific and technical information on the substances.

Contact

Connect with us if you have questions or feedback on the ambient air quality objectives:

Email: [email protected]

Introduction

Use of objectives

Factors objectives are based on

Consultation

Mailing list

Industrial air management

Supporting documents

2-Ethylhexanol

Acetone

Acrolein

Acrylic Acid

Acrylonitrile

Ammonia

Arsenic

Benzene

Benzo(a)pyrene

Carbon Disulphide

Cumene

Ethylbenzene

Ethylene

Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

Formaldehyde

Hexane

Hydrogen Fluoride

Isopropanol

Manganese

Naphthalene

Nickel

Nitrogen Dioxide

Ozone

Pentachlorophenol

Propylene Oxide

Sulphur Dioxide

Toluene

Xylenes

Contact

Fine Particulate Matter (PM_2.5)