2007 Air Pollutant Emissions Data Highlights  

Air pollution sources

Comprehensive national, provincial and territorial emission summaries for key air pollutants are now available for the 2007 calendar year. These 2007 summaries together with national historical emission trends data, and detailed facility reports for pollutant releases and transfers, can be viewed online or downloaded from the links below.

Highlights:

  • Nationally, emissions of the main pollutants contributing to smog, acid rain and/or poor air quality (criteria air contaminants or CACs), declined or were relatively stable between 2006 and 2007. Overall emissions of CACs from industrial sources declined between 1990 to 2007, but increased from open and natural sources and some industrial sectors.
  • Lead emissions were relatively constant between 2006 and 2007, but decreased over 80% between 1990-2007.
  • Emissions of cadmium and key persistent organic pollutants, decreased between 2006 and 2007 and in the longer term between 1990-2007.
  • Mercury emissions from products are included in the 2007 estimates, but have not yet been incorporated for previous years. Excluding these expanded estimates, Canadian mercury emissions increased by 9% between 2006 and 2007, but declined 83% between 1990-2007. Updates to historical mercury emission trends are currently being compiled and will be published in the near future.  

Resources