Summary of Critical
Air Quality Issues
in the Transboundary Region


Report from the
International Air Quality Advisory Board

to the
International Joint Commission


ISBN 1-894280-43-1

January 2004

Cover Illustration Credit:
Geographic Distribution of Contributions to
Atmospheric Deposition of Mercury to Lake Superior,
2001-2003 Priorities Report to the International Joint Commission
(Dr. Mark Cohen, NOAA-ARL)

INDEX

1.0MANY 'DIRTY DOZEN' PERSISTENT TOXICS DIMINISHING IN THE GREAT LAKES. NEW POLLUTANTS TAKING THEIR PLACE. THOSE WHICH REMAIN ARE PRIMARILY FROM REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC TRANSPORT.1
1.1Story1
1.2What Does It Mean?5
1.3Recommendations5
2.0GLOBAL MERCURY EMISSIONS UNCHANGED: REDUCTIONS IN NORTH AMERICA OFFSET BY INCREASES IN ASIAN CONTRIBUTION.6
2.1Story6
2.2What Does It Mean?7
3.0FURTHER REDUCTIONS IN EMISSIONS FROM BOATS, SHIPS, PLANES, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND SMALL GASOLINE ENGINES NEEDED.8
3.1Story8
3.2What Does It Mean?9
3.3Recommendations11
4.0NITROGEN COMPOUNDS REMAIN PIVOTAL.12
4.1Story12
4.2What Does It Mean?17
4.3Recommendations17
5.0CAN DETERIORATION OF AIR QUALITY IN NON URBAN, RELATIVELY CLEAN, DESIGNATED AREAS BE PREVENTED?18
5.1Story18
5.2What Does It Mean?19
5.3Recommendations20
6.0THE AVAILABILITY OF NEW PUBLIC INFORMATION TOOLS, SUCH AS WEB-BASED, INCLUDING AIR QUALITY INDICES AND/OR HEALTH BASED ADVISORIES, IS STIMULATING GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST AND CONCERN REGARDING AIR QUALITY.21
6.1Story21
6.2What Does It Mean?22
6.3Recommendations22
7.0HOW WELL ARE AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS PERFORMING? INVENTORIES, MONITORING AND ANALYSES ALL NEED RENEWAL TO PROVIDE VERIFICATION AND GUIDANCE.23
7.1Story23
7.2What Does it Mean?24
7.3Recommendations25
ACRONYMS26
REFERENCES26
TABLE 1Various Organizational Frameworks and Program Status: Persistent Toxic Substances2
FIGURES
1.Dieldrin in Breast Milk, Canada3
2.Geographic Distribution of Source Contributions to Atrazine Deposition4
3.Global Mercury Emissions6
4.US/Canada Combined NOx Emissions, 1982-200112
5.Nutrate Deposition in 1990-1994 and 1996-200014
6.Average Ammonium Ion Concentration as NH4 (mg/L)16
7.Regional Haze20