Air Quality

Good air quality is important to our health. Here is a brief overview of key factors impacting air quality in the City of Kamloops and surrounding area.

Two air pollutants that pose the most serious health risks to residents:

  • Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5)

  • Ground-Level Ozone (GLO)

What’s the Air Quality Today?

For up-to-date air quality information, check out these resources:

  • BC Air Quality: The provincial government website offers an interactive air quality map. Just zoom into Kamloops, and select one of the local monitoring stations. For example, select “Kamloops Federal Building” for a table of the latest air quality readings in that location. Click on a specific air contaminant (such as PM 2.5) for a detailed graph.

  • Air Quality Health Index: This public information tool, available through Environment Canada, measures air quality in relation to health risk, on a scale of 1 to 10. The higher the number, the greater the health risk associated with air quality. The tool is a way for Canadians, particularly at-risk populations, to protect their health by planning the extent of their exposure to the outdoors

What are the Air Quality Challenges?

Particulate Matter

Particulate matter (PM) is combination of microscopic solid and liquid suspended airborne particles that vary in size, origin and chemical composition. There are three categories:

  • Total suspended particulates (TSP), or dust
  • PM10 — particles of 10 micrometres or less
  • PM2.5 — particles of 2.5 micrometres or less.

Particulate matter in the air is monitored because of negative impacts on human health. PM2.5 is of greatest concern because these are tiny particles that can travel deep into the lungs, become lodged and lead to chronic respiratory conditions such as cardiorespiratory disease, decreased lung function, increased respiratory stress, bronchitis, asthma and premature death. Young children, the elderly and people with pre-existing cardiac and respiratory conditions are most susceptible.

Particulate matter comes from natural sources (such as dust, smoke and pollen) and human-caused sources (wood smoke, vehicle exhaust, combustion products, industry and road dust from sand or other traction material put down in winter).

Levels of PM2.5 in Kamloops (2011-2013) were 8.2 micrograms (µg)/m3 as the annual average and 20 micrograms (µg)/m3 as the maximum in a 24-hour period. Short-term peaks are often seen during summers with high forest fire activity, notably in 2003 and 2015.

Guidelines for PM2.5 from the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for the BC Southern Interior zone (2013) are a maximum of 10 micrograms (µg)/m3 as an annual average, and 28 micrograms (µg)/m3 as the maximum in a 24-hour period.

Ground-level Ozone

Ground-level ozone (GLO) is a highly reactive and unstable form of oxygen. In BC, GLO typically occurs from May to September between noon and early evening.

GLO makes breathing difficult for those with lung or heart problems, and for children whose respiratory systems are not fully developed. It is also linked to headaches, burning eyes, irritated sinuses, chest tightness and other maladies.

GLO is formed from chemical reactions among precursor gases, principally nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. It builds up, especially when the air is stagnant, and is the main ingredient of smog.

Levels of ground-level ozone in Kamloops for 2011-2013 were 51 parts per billion (ppb), based on the fourth highest daily eight-hour maximums, averaged over three consecutive years.

Guidelines for ground-level ozone from the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for the BC Southern Interior zone (2013) are 63 parts per billion (ppb) in a daily maximum eight-hour period.

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen oxides are a group of highly reactive gases that includes nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Small levels of nitrogen oxides can cause nausea, irritated eyes and/or nose, fluid forming in lungs and shortness of breath. Breathing in high levels can lead to rapid, burning spasms, swelling of the throat, reduced oxygen intake, and a larger build-up of fluids in lungs and/or even death. Nitrogen oxides can contribute to ongoing respiratory issues at high levels and can also cause visual impairment.

Nitrogen oxides form when nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere are burned or combusted with fossil fuels at high temperatures. These come from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, homes, businesses factories and power plants, from animal manure, and from agricultural/lawn management practices. Nitrous oxide is naturally produced in soils; it is increased through use of synthetic and organic fertilizers, production of nitrogen-fixing crops, cultivation of high organic content soils and application of livestock manure to croplands and pasture.

Levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in Kamloops in 2015 were 12 ppb, well below many other locations in BC, such as the Lower Mainland (source: BC Lung Association). Guidelines for nitrogen dioxide from the provincial air quality objectives are 32 ppb on an annual basis.

Sulphur Dioxide

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a colourless gas with a pungent odour that smells like a struck match. Once released, SO2 can react with other pollutants to form fine particulate matter.

Aggravation of asthma, increased respiratory problems, exacerbation of heart disease, emphysema and bronchitis.

SO2 also contributes to the formation of PM and the associated health concerns.

SO2 is a pollutant from the oil and gas industry, pipeline operations, marine operations, metal smelting and pulp and paper production.

The highest observed concentration of SO2 in Kamloops in a one-hour period in 2015 was 10 ppb (source: BC Lung Association). Guidelines for SO2 from provincial air quality objectives are 75 ppb, observed as the annual 99th percentile of daily one-hour maximum observed.

Other Pollutants: VOCs and Odorous Reduced Sulphur Gases

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemical compounds that evaporate from liquids to gases, and are usually in higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Odorous reduced sulphur gases include total reduced sulphur gases and hydrogen sulphides, which produce offensive, nuisance odours similar to rotten eggs.

Human health impacts of VOCs can include eye, nose and throat irritation, headache, nausea, dizziness and skin problems, in addition to irritation of the lungs at higher concentrations. VOCs are not considered a priority pollutant and are not monitored.

Sources of VOCs include gas fumes; burning of fossil fuels and other materials, including wood, kerosene and tobacco; paints and solvents; cosmetics; and copying and printing machines. Odorous reduced sulphur gases come from industrial sources, including pulp and paper production, and sewage treatment plants.

Odorous reduced sulphur gases are not a human health hazard, but are considered a nuisance.

A Look at the Airshed

The Kamloops Airshed (indicated on the map) is defined by the topography of the valley. It extends from Campbell Creek in the east, to the airport in the west, north to Rayleigh, and south to the height of land in Knutsford and above Barnhartvale. Photo credit: “Air boundary,” courtesy of Ralph Adams, Ministry of Environment from the 2012 report What is in the Air We Breathe?. The City of Kamloops prepared this report as part of the development of its Airshed Management Plan. Check out both publications to learn about challenges and opportunities related to air quality improvement. Unless otherwise noted, the above overview of challenges is from What is in the Air We Breathe? and guidelines from the Southern Interior Air Zone Report (2011-2013).