EJQ4 - Spring 2025 - Journal - Page 23
Getting to the source of the problem
There is a fundamental di昀昀erence between being on guard for air quality
challenges caused by distant 昀椀res and those coming from local sources.
In the short term, not much can be done in response to those 昀椀res, other
than creating an air quality alert and banning wood burning when there
are high concentrations of PM 2.5. — or in the case of forward-thinking
cities like Montreal, banning the use of wood burning stoves and 昀椀replaces altogether unless they meet stringent emission requirements.
Whereas municipal o昀케cials, residents and businesses can work together
to address air pollution stemming from local sources ranging from vehicular tra昀케c to manufacturing and other industries such as oil and gas.
bourhoods. The type of operation where “you’re painting those fenders
on the assembly line… with some really nasty cancer-causing compounds
like aromatics, benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene (being produced),” if
vented outside. In a worst-case scenario, because some of these toxic substances are heavier than air there’s the potential for what he calls
problem valleys and chemical reactions can cause smog and haze.
To cut such scenarios o昀昀 at the pass, whether on behalf of the manufacturer or at the behest of the city or town where the facility is located,
Webb says Biorem’s team goes in and does a whole plant assessment.
“We identify all of the potential emission sources… rank by priority and
then come up with appropriate containment and treatment systems.”
And that’s where companies like Biorem, based near Guelph, Ontario come in. Apart from the increasing incidence of wild昀椀res, yet another
trend a昀昀ecting air quality at the local level notes Webb is that “the more
urbanized we get and the denser those conditions are, the bigger the potential for issues between people and industry.”
Industries Biorem works with include wastewater and water treatment
plants, manufacturers, companies involved in the chemical and petrochemical sectors and municipalities in North America. The latter includes
working with local o昀케cials to address potential VOC and ammonia emissions from solid waste facilities.
One example he cites is when an operation such as automotive manufacturing is being done in an urban setting not far from residential neigh-
For green bin programs in cities such as Toronto “you have organics
that will either be composted to create a soil amendment or increasingly
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