Media Releases and Opportunities

New research by Dalhousie University scientists has found that the release of pollutants from pulp and paper mills in Atlantic Canada exceeded federal reporting thresholds suggested by Environment and Climate Change Canada over a 17-year period.

In a new paper, the researchers used publicly available government data to compare annual air emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, total particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds from nine facilities in the pulp and paper industry to annual recommendations for safe emissions between 2002 and 2019.

Results revealed that annual releases were several orders of magnitude higher than federal reporting thresholds.

The research also showed that pulp mills emit higher pollutant loads than those producing paper, with the highest exceedance for particulate matter being about 100,000 per cent above the threshold.

Researchers Tony Walker, an associate professor in Dal's School for Resource and Environmental Studies, and Gianina Giacosa Massa, a Master of Environmental Studies student, are available to discuss their findings, the challenges of tracking emissions and the lack of compliance.

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Author contacts:

Tony Walker
Associate Professor
School for Resource and Environmental Studies
Dalhousie University
Cell: 782-640-0087
Email: trwalker@dal.ca

Gianina Giacosa Massa
Master of Environmental Studies student
Email: gianina.giacosa@dal.ca

Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca