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• Fort McKay (AMS 1)
• Mildred Lake (AMS 2)
• Lower Camp Met Tower (AMS 3)
• Buffalo Viewpoint (AMS 4)
• Mannix (AMS 5)
• Patricia McInnes (AMS 6)
• Athabasca Valley (AMS 7)
• Fort Chipewyan (AMS 8)
• Barge Landing (AMS 9)
• Albian Mine Site (AMS 10)*
• Lower Camp (AMS 11)
• Millennium (AMS 12)
• Syncrude UE-1 (AMS 13)
• Anzac (AMS 14)
• CNRL Horizon (AMS 15)
• Albian Muskeg River (AMS 16)*

*Note: AMS 10 was retired due to mining in the location. It has been replaced with AMS 16 which is 4km SE of the former AMS 10 site.

The Purpose: This project will map spatial patterns and the extent of air pollution deposition using epiphytic lichens as bio-indicators, and help verify and validate modeled N and S deposition patterns in the region.

Lichens were collected from 359 forested sites within a 150 km radius surrounding main oil sands operations and over 800 lichen samples were collected in the summer of 2008. The sample analyses for N and S were completed in 2009.

Patterns of N and S concentrations in lichens were mapped using a spatially explicit predictive model. The met data for the CALPUFF model was updated. A map of the N and S concentration patterns was compared to a modeled (CALPUFF) N and S deposition pattern.

Lichen samples from previous lichen studies from sites with high and low N and S levels were analyzed for trace metals to use in receptor modelling and source apportionment to separate local industry sources, biogenic sources, long-range transport.

The N and S deposition interim report, maps, and CALPUFF comparisons and source apportionment report were submitted in April 2010.

Due to the technical components of all 3 reports and to define a path forward, all interim reports were sent for external peer review. In 2011, a subset of lichen samples from this project will be analyzed for source apportionment analyses.