IMPACT

With mining being a contributing factor to the Howe Sound region, pulp mills fall close behind, being one of BC’s largest industrial industries.  Dioxins and furans, however, are a result of such industries, chemicals found in the production facilities of pulp mills.  These chemicals have been found to litter the sea floor causing harm to the wildlife of the area.  A fishing ban was set in place directly as a result from the chemical litter in the area itself.  Today, fishing is still banned on crab and other wildlife as advisories warn individuals of consumption of such food.  Dioxins and furans have been shown to be hazardous towards humans.  Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans are said to pose health risk as “these organic pollutants are among the most persistent, toxic, bioaccumulative and carcinogenic hazards to humans”.  These hazards resulted in direct closures of fisheries as the posed threat of consumption be harmful.

In this graph above, an implementation of regulations regarding the amount of sediments dumped into the sea were set into place recording the dioxins and furans of the marine wildlife.  The graph shows that as the implementations were set into place, the dioxins and furans dropped, however, unsafe levels of such chemicals are still prevalent in the crabs.  The levels today are still considered high and the advisories are still set into place towards eating crab.

SOLUTION

                Today, Health Canada monitors dioxins and furans in food as part of their Total Diet Surveys.  As for dioxins and furans in mills, pulp mills are required to monitor the chemicals being produced to safe standards implemented by the Canadians government under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to ensure that safe practices are being proceeded.