Surface water in Alberta oil sands contains high levels of dissolved metals, report finds

Surface water across Alberta’s oil sands contains high levels of dissolved metals such as arsenic, cadmium, iron and aluminum, according to the first comprehensive assessment of the region’s water quality.

The report by the Oil Sands Monitoring Program, released Thursday afternoon, concluded that in-depth water analyses didn’t show “obvious widespread impacts” linked to oil sands activity. But, it said, the results highlight areas that “may need further investigation,” particularly where levels “flag potential concerns for different components of human or ecological health.”