The use of leeches to monitor aquatic PCB contamination at Mid-Canada radar line site 050: Four years post-remediation

Abstract

The Mid-Canada Radar Line (MCRL) was built by the Canadian government during the 1950s and closed in the 1960s. MCRL Site 050 located in close proximity to Fort Albany First Nation was a source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); thus, this site was remediated in 2001. There has been concern in Fort Albany that the Albany River by MCRL Site 050 is still contaminated. We examined whether the aquatic environment surrounding MCRL Site 050 has returned to background levels four years post-remediation using leeches (Haemopis spp.) as bioindicators. Leech data for 2005 indicates that PCB levels remain higher near Site 050 than at the control site upstream; however, there has been a decrease in difference between Site 050 and the control site for leech body burden between years. Thus, the removal of the terrestrial source of PCB contamination at Site 050 appears to have removed the main source of aquatic PCBs.

Human exposure to soil contaminants in subarctic Ontario, Canada

“…Importantly, during the Cold War in the 1950s the Mid-Canada Radar Line (MCRL) in subarctic Canada was built by the Government of Canada during the 1950s, in response to the threat of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union ( 13 , 17 ). The MCRL was deemed redundant in the mid-1960s by the Canadian military and was decommissioned ( 13 , 17 ). However, since the radar-line stations were typically not properly decommissioned at the time of closure, many MCRL sites have become point sources of environmental contamination (e.g.…”

“…Site 050 (located on Anderson Island in close proximity to the community of Fort Albany First Nation, Ontario, Canada) was the first MCRL site to be remediated ( 12 ). This abandoned radar-line site received remediation priority because of elevated levels of PCBs in soil (21,000 ppm) and vascular plants (up to 550 ppm), with >50 ppm considered hazardous waste in Canada ( 12 , 17 ). Potential sources of DDT exposure also include DDT-contaminated soil surrounding MCRL buildings and long-range atmospheric transport from industrial sites, to the extent where remediation was required ( 16 , 18 ).…”

Traditional food consumption behaviour and concern with environmental contaminants among Cree schoolchildren of the Mushkegowuk territory

“…In the Mushkegowuk Territory (the area of study), it has been documented that abandoned Mid-Canada Radar line sites are known sources of environmental contamination (e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls) and there has been great concern over contamination of traditional foods (18). Further, there has been concern of food chain contamination from mining projects, such as, the Victor Diamond mine.…”