Canada’s oil sands emit 6300% more pollutants than previously thought

The recent study has highlighted the lack of a unified monitoring framework to guide monitoring in the oil sands region, affecting nearby indigenous communities.

The oil sands, colloquially known as the tar sands are a mixture of bitumen, water, sand, and clay. Canada’s Athabasca oil sands are one of the largest reservesof crude oil in the world and hold an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen.

The nation is one of the top five countries globally, in terms of oil production and reserves of untapped oil resources. Around 3% of Canada’s GDP comes from its oil and gas industry making it a significant source of income for the nation.

Moreover, an average of 4.7 million barrels per day are exported with a vast majority directed to the United States.

A recently published study sheds light on the shocking revelation that the pollution levels from the oil sands are 1900% to 6300% more than what was reflected in previous reports.

The team of experts measured the air molecules at the oil sands, factoring out the greenhouse gases and tracking only the molecules that were vital to air quality. The molecules that were being…