September 25, 2024
by Bev Thorpe
Member of Ports Toronto Community Liaison Committee (CLC) and Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Air Quality Study Committee member.
At last week’s CLC meeting, Ports Toronto gave a quick overview of their Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) 2023 Report.
During a pause for questions I asked why their technical report states that ‘air in the neighbourhood was found to be 30 per cent cleaner than the Toronto average’ since this is completely at odds with the results from the recent 3-year study by the University of Toronto’s Transportation and Air Quality Research Group. This NSERC funded study gathered important data on the levels of ultrafine particles (UFP) in the air around the airport. UFPs have been in the news recently because of a McGill University led study that links 1100 mortality cases in Toronto and Montreal to these incredibly small particles, that penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Increasing evidence suggests these pollutants may contribute to heart and lung diseases, as well as certain forms of cancer.
The University of Toronto team concluded in their direct measurement campaign, conducted between 2020 and 2022, that “Airport activities are the primary source of UFP in the neighbourhood.”
In particular, they found that when aircraft take off and land, high levels of UFPs occur particularly during southerly winds in the summer months (when tourists add to the mix of community residents). Indeed, airport activities contributed 60% of total UFP concentrations measured at the Ferry Terminal (compared to diesel and background levels).
On top of this, frequent elevated UFP spikes, with concentrations up to and over 100,000 particles/cm3 and lasting a few minutes, were observed across the neighbourhood exceeding the World Health Organization’s good practice guidelines for High UFPs (set at 20,000 particles/cm3 for 1- hour average and 10,000 particles/cm3 for 24 hours average.) These WHO guidelines were commonly exceeded at the Ferry terminal. At this location nearly 25% of the hours and approximately 80% of the days surpassed the 1-hour and 24-hour good practice, respectively.
Short-term UFP Spikes Evident across the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood
As we know, the Ferry Terminal is part of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood and is located next to a school and playground with nearby tourist spots, residential buildings and a community centre. Because of the airport’s dominant contribution to UFP levels in our air, we are as polluted as busy traffic congested parts of downtown Toronto.
However, Ports Toronto downplays these results. In their 2023 ESG report (page 23 reproduced below) they write:
“The study found that flight activities at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport have a much smaller impact on ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions in residential areas at Bathurst Quay, compared to regional and background UFPs” and that “The air in the neighbourhood was found to be 30 per cent cleaner than the Toronto average, with hourly residential UFP averaging 50 per cent lower than the World Health Organization’s good practice standard.”
So how do Ports Toronto substantiate these claims considering these statements are not found in any of the University of Toronto reports nor in the most recent peer reviewed publication?
We have asked Ports Toronto to supply the necessary data and references – hopefully by the next CLC meeting on November 27. But in the meantime, the ESG report will be widely publicized leaving many city councillors with the impression that our community is perfectly safe from the air emissions generated from the island airport.
It would be far better for councillors to hear what Dr Marianne Hatzopoulou, Head of the Transportation and Air Quality research group, says about the airports’ impact on air quality in our community at this public presentation of the final results. Watch this 15-minute recap of the study’s key findings.
We will keep you posted on developments.
Comments