Militaristic Antropogenic Pollution and Water Quality: A Case Study on Canadian Air Forces Base Petawawa

First name: 
Danielle
Last name: 
Moncion
Class Year: 
2013
Advisor: 
James Saiers
Essay Abstract: 
The objectives of this study were threefold. First using effluent data collected from 19 outfalls located around CFB Petawawa, the water chemistry of the samples was investigated. Guidelines set by the Ministers of the Environment (MOE) in Ontario and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) in Canada constituted the comparative standards. The results showed total metal and Petroleum Hydrocarbon (PHC) exceedances across almost all outfalls. Second, using GIS data, relationships between vehicle use and rates of contamination were drawn. A strong correlation between increasing traffic volume and increasing contamination levels was found thus insinuating that combustion sources and automobile use are linked to anthropogenic constituents in pavement runoff. Lastly, points of potential remediation included the construction of additional routes on/off base as well as the use of LAV beds to reduce environmental impacts posed by the military in CFB Petawawa.