PT05 Atmospheric Transport and Fate
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Tuesday
(PT074) Spatial and temporal variations in the atmospheric concentrations of lindane (
-hexachlorocyclohexane) in the Canadian prairies and the low Arctic.
Waite, D.1, Sproull, J.2, Gurprasad, N.2, 1 Environment Canada, Regina, SK, Canada2 Environment Canada, Edmonton, AB, Canada
ABSTRACT- Lindane (-hexachlorocyclohexane) has been used in Canada primarily as a seed treatment on canola, corn and some cereal crops. Canola production in Canada increased from 2.6 million ha in 1986 to 5.7 million ha in 1994 at which time approximately 95% of the seeds planted were pre-treated with lindane to combat insect predation. As of 2003 lindane use on canola seed has been discontinued in Canada. Atmospheric concentrations of lindane were measured by the use of high-volume samplers located at Regina (south central) and Waskesiu (central) Saskatchewan and at Yellowknife in the low Arctic in the summers of 1993 and 1994. In 1993 two addition Arctic sites, Inuvik and Iqualuit were also sampled. Additional atmospheric samples were collected in the early summer of 2000 and 2001 at the two Saskatchewan sites plus an intermediate site, Hafford, located in the main prairie canola growing region. Data from these samples provide an estimate of atmospheric lindane concentrations present during the period when it was in wide use as a canola seed treatment. These concentrations will be used as a benchmark against which to estimate the reductions expected as a result of withdrawal of this produce from the market.
Key words: atmosphere, lindane, canola, Canadian prairies