Exceedances of the One-Hour Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Ambient Guideline

Map of monitoring stations

Alberta's one-hour average guideline for fine particulate matter is 80 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). This guideline was adopted in 2007 and the figures above show exceedances only during this year. In 2007 there were a total of 99 exceedances of the 1-hour guideline in the province. Most of these exceedances (77%) occurred in the Fort McMurray area in northeastern Alberta. The largest number of exceedances were measured at the Fort Chipewyan and Fort McKay stations (16 and 15 respectively in 2007). The majority of these exceedances in northern Alberta were a result of forest fires, however industrial sources also contributed to some exceedances. Also of note, there were 7 exceedances at the Rimbey (portable) station, located just northwest of Red Deer.