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“When dealing with chemicals that have such great potential to harm people and animals, it is absolutely vital that we truly understand how, and how much they are being released into the environment,” Abha Parajulee, lead author of a paper on oilsands pollution, said in a news release. 

The U of T study used a model to predict emission levels of a group of atmospheric pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which can be highly carcinogenic. 

While previous models assessed the PAHs released directly into the atmosphere during extraction of bitumen from oilsands – numbers that tend to fall within acceptable regulatory levels – this study included indirect pathways for the pollutants to enter the air, such as evaporation from tailing ponds.

“Tailing ponds are not the end of the journey for the pollutants they contain. PAHs are highly volatile, meaning they escape into the air much more than many people think,” Parajulee said.

The model also factored in additional