Naturally Occurring and Fluctuating Soil Parameters in Saskatchewan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Naturally Occurring and Fluctuating Soil Parameters in Saskatchewan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Feb 28, 2024 162 likes •420 views

Naturally Occurring and Fluctuating Soil Parameters in Saskatchewan Chelsea Cooke, B.Sc. Science (Geology) SEIMA - SustainTech March 21, 2019 About Me Chelsea Cooke Graduated from University of Regina May 2017 B.Sc. Science - Geology

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Naturally Occurring and Fluctuating Soil Parameters in Saskatchewan

March 21, 2019

Chelsea Cooke, B.Sc. Science (Geology) SEIMA - SustainTech

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  • Graduated from University of Regina May 2017 B.Sc. Science - Geology
  • Well-rounded experience
  • Watermark Consulting (2014 - 4 Months) – Geological Technician
  • Government of Sask. (2015 & 2016 - 8 Months) – Environment Protection Officer
  • Clifton Associates Ltd. (2017 - 2 Months) – Materials Testing
  • Aurora Geosciences (2017 - 5 Months) - Geologist
  • Associated Environmental (2018 to Present – 10 Months) – Environmental Scientist

About Me – Chelsea Cooke

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Associated Engineering / Associated Environmental

  • Founded in the mid 1940’s.
  • AE has over 900 staff in 21 offices across the country.
  • Our head office in in Edmonton, Alberta.
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Agenda

  • Defining Natural Parameters
  • Natural Fluctuations or Environmental Contamination?
  • Tools
  • Saskatchewan Environmental Quality Guidelines
  • Tools Aren’t Perfect
  • Results
  • Reasons for Fluctuating Parameters
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Introduction

  • Saskatchewan – soils are unique
  • Saskatchewan – diverse consulting, engineering and environmental sector
  • Often requires chemical testing (for soils or groundwater)
  • Chemical data – abnormal/alarming or naturally occurring
  • There are federal and provincial tools at our disposal
  • Tools are not perfect
  • When tools are combined with analysis – can determine if an elevated parameter is

contamination or naturally occurring

  • Analysis must include context in terms of Saskatchewan soils and groundwater quality
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Naturally Occurring Parameters

  • “An unprocessed chemical occurring in a natural

environment — chemicals obtained from plants, microorganisms, the earth, sea or animals without any processing at all, for example… minerals, ores, crude oil, coal and natural gas obtained without any processing.”

  • Saskatchewan soils hold ores, minerals, nutrients,

and other various materials such as coal, petroleum products, potash and uranium.

(Australian Government – Department of Health: National Industrial Chemicals: Notification and Assessment Scheme: Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 (ICNA Act)).

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Natural Fluctuations or Environmental Contamination?

Determinative tools exist for Saskatchewan:

  • Provincial and federal guidelines and standards
  • Government of Saskatchewan maps – display areas of

elevated parameters in Saskatchewan

  • Remember these conditions are specific to Saskatchewan
  • Are not necessarily applicable in other environments
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Tools: Guidelines and Standards

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Health Canada: Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water

  • Total coliforms
  • Turbidity
  • Aluminum
  • Ammonia
  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Asbestos
  • Barium
  • Boron
  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Chromium
  • Copper
  • Cyanobacterial-Toxins
  • Fluoride
  • Hardness
  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite
  • Selenium
  • Silver
  • Sodium
  • Total Dissolved Solids
  • Uranium
  • Zinc

Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines (CEQG / CCME 2014) https://www.ccme.ca/en/resources/canadian_environmental_quality_guidelines /

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Sask H2O

  • Alkalinity
  • Aluminum
  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Boron
  • Cadmium
  • Chloride
  • Copper
  • Fluoride
  • Hardness
  • Hydrogen Sulphide
  • Iron
  • Manganese
  • Mercury
  • Nitrate
  • Selenium
  • Sodium
  • Sulphate
  • Total Dissolved Solids
  • Uranium

Sask H2O: Government of Saskatchewan: Fact Sheets (December 2007 – March 2011).

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Tools: Government of Saskatchewan Maps

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Naturall y Elevated Arsenic in Drinking Water

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Naturall y Elevated Lead in Drinking Water

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Naturall y Elevated Nitrate and Seleniu m in Drinking Water

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Naturally Elevated Trihalomethan e in Drinking Water

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Naturall y Elevated Uranium in Drinking Water

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Saskatchewan Environmental Quality Guidelines

Industrial Groundwater: Potable Water Values Only

  • Aluminum
  • Copper
  • Manganese
  • Sodium
  • TDS

Industrial Groundwater: Not Mentioned in SEQG

  • Asbestos
  • Cyanobacterial-Toxins
  • Hardness
  • Magnesium

Government of Saskatchewan. 2007. Municipal Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Guidelines. EPB202/2007. Regina, SK. Government of Saskatchewan. 2006. Saskatchewan’s Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objectives. EPB207/2006. Regina, SK.

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Saskatchewan Environmental Quality Guidelines

Industrial Groundwater: Multiple Values

  • Antimony
  • Barium
  • Boron
  • Cadmium
  • Chloride
  • Chromium
  • Fluoride
  • Iron
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite

Industrial Groundwater: No Values

  • Total coliforms
  • Turbidity
  • Ammonia
  • Calcium

Government of Saskatchewan. 2007. Municipal Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Guidelines. EPB202/2007. Regina, SK. Government of Saskatchewan. 2006. Saskatchewan’s Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objectives. EPB207/2006. Regina, SK.

  • Selenium
  • Silver
  • Sulphate
  • Uranium
  • Zinc
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Tools Are Not Always a Perfect Fit

  • SEQG can be confusing – Difficulty and/or confusion in determining which

standards to compare values to

  • SEQG values are a mixture of multiple standards and guidelines
  • Natural elevated parameters values will likely not align with potable water

standards

  • The tools are in place but more education and instruction can be developed

for small communities

  • Potential opportunity to work with provincial and federal legislations to

create more clear and concise guidelines and standards.

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Results

Parameter Jul- 02 Sep- 06 Jul- 07 Oct- 07 Jul- 08 Oct- 08 Jun- 09 Oct- 09 Jul- 11 Sep- 12 Aug

  • 13

Sep- 14 Sep- 15

SEQG: Human Exp. SEQG: Ecological Exp. SEQG: Agricultural Exp.

Fluoride (mg/L) 0.83 0.73 0.74 0.75 0.64 0.76 0.63 0.74 0.57 0.70 0.82 0.60 0.59 1.5 0.12 1.0 TDS (mg/L) 432 680 584 652 660 696 736 768 599 604 545 530 514 500 No Value 3000 Iron (mg/L) 5.01 87.2 51.2 66.2 51.2 237 7.24 249

  • 0.34

0.1 42.2

  • 0.3

0.3 5.0 Manganese (mg/L) 0.45 1.06 0.61 0.72 1.1 2.69 0.4 2.64

  • <0.0

1 <0.0 1 0.77 6

  • 0.05

No Value 0.2

Exceeded Ecological Exposure Exceeded Human Exposure Exceeded Two or All Exposures

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Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Municipal Affairs and Environment:

  • Groundwater. Last Updated September 20, 2018.

Why do these parameters fluctuate?

  • Seasonality
  • Annual precipitation
  • Storms or extreme

weather events

  • Surface run-on or run-off
  • Migration of groundwater
  • Proximity to agricultural

land

  • Natural geographic

features

  • Alteration of stratigraphic

layers

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  • Many aspects of quality assurance / quality control

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Municipal Affairs and Environment: Groundwater. Last Updated September 20, 2018.

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  • Saskatchewan – soils are unique
  • Saskatchewan – diverse consulting, engineering and environmental sector
  • Often requires chemical testing (for soils or groundwater)
  • Chemical data – abnormal/alarming or naturally occurring
  • There are federal and provincial tools at our disposal
  • Tools are not perfect
  • When tools are combined with analysis – can determine if an elevated parameter is

contamination or naturally occurring

  • Analysis must include context in terms of Saskatchewan soils and groundwater quality
  • Room for improvement – opportunity to educate small communities on tools available and

how to use them

Conclusion

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  • Australian Government – Department of Health: National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme. Industrial Chemicals

(Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 (ICNA Act).

  • Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines (CEQG / CCME 2014) https://www.ccme.ca/en/resources/canadian_environmental_quality_guidelines/
  • Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Municipal Affairs and Environment: Groundwater. Last Updated September 20, 2018.
  • Government of Saskatchewan. 2007. Municipal Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Guidelines. EPB202/2007. Regina, SK.
  • Government of Saskatchewan. 2006. Saskatchewan’s Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objectives. EPB207/2006. Regina, SK.
  • Personal Interview: Gordon Will (Associated Environmental Ltd.) March, 2019.
  • Personal Interview: Helen Song (Associated Environmental Ltd.) March, 2019.
  • Personal Interview: Vida Ramin (Associated Environmental Ltd.) March, 2019.
  • Sask H2O: Government of Saskatchewan: Fact Sheets (December 2007 – March 2011).
  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment: Province of Saskatchewan: Naturally Elevated Arsenic in Drinking Water (May 2008).
  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment: Province of Saskatchewan: Elevated Lead, Nitrate and Selenium in Drinking Water (May 2008).
  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment: Province of Saskatchewan: Elevated Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water (May 2008).
  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment: Province of Saskatchewan: Elevated Uranium in Drinking Water (May 2008).

References

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Questions?

Chelsea Cooke , cookec@ae.ca