Downstream from Canada oil sands, mercury level in bird eggs increases 50 per cent since 1970s

By Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
Published Friday, Oct. 01, 2010 11:47PM EDT Edmonton — A study by Environment Canada indicates levels of toxic mercury in the eggs of water birds downstream from the oil-sands industry seem to have grown by nearly 50 per cent over the last three decades. The study, one of the few to compare the region’s ecosystem before and after its industrial boom, doesn’t tie the increased mercury specifically to energy development. But the report’s author says its findings suggest that the Athabasca River is the source of at least some of that mercury. “The fact that we see higher mercury at the sites that are downstream of the Athabasca River would suggest that the Athabasca is a significant source,” said biologist Craig Hebert, whose study is now under peer review prior to publication. Mr. Hebert’s team travelled to three northern Alberta locations in 2009 to collect bird eggs in order to analyze contaminant levels in them. Two of those sites were in the Athabasca River delta; the third was on the Peace River. “We know that bird eggs provide a pretty good indication of local contamination.” … That conclusion dovetails with another study that found similar mercury increases over time in walleye, a type of fish found in the area. Those concentrations were found to have increased 30 per cent between 1976 and 2005. … Studies published earlier this year by University of Alberta biologists also found toxic heavy metals and some hydrocarbons at levels already harmful to fish. Those studies claim to establish a firm link between contamination and industrial development. …

Mercury in eggs downstream from oil sands grows 50 per cent: study via The Oil Drum