Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A new study has found high concentrations of toxic "forever chemicals" in the surface of seawater near melting ice floes in the Arctic.
Researchers out of Lancaster University in England found concentrations of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) up to two times higher in the Arctic's Barents Sea than levels previously observed in that of the North Sea.
Despite the region studied being thousands of kilometres away from populated European cities, the researchers found the PFAS travelled through the atmosphere and accumulated in sea ice, later melting into the Arctic Ocean.
The findings were published online in June and in the July edition of peer-reviewed scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology.
The study noted that these chemicals are considered "forever" because they do not break down in the environment. They used in a variety of household products, food packages and processes including fire proofing, fast food wrappers, non-stick cookware, and even some cosmetics.
Scientists say one particular group of these chemicals -- perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) -- can be toxic to wildlife and humans.
The study, which was jointly funded by the United Kingdom and Germany as part of the Changing Arctic Ocean program, was led by Lancaster PhD student Jack Garnett and environmental chemical professor Crispin Halsall.
According to a press release, Garnett discovered an "unusual phenomenon" during a scientific expedition with the Norwegian Nansen Legacy project where PFAAs present in the atmosphere land on the surface of Arctic ice floes through snowfall and eventually accumulate within the ice.
Looking at the salinity and stable isotopes of snow, ice and seawater, Garnett was able to determine the contribution of PFAAs that came from the atmosphere compared to those already present in ocean waters.
Researchers reported that the PFAAs found in the atmospheric component were "much higher" than those from seawater, confirming that "long range transport and deposition from the atmosphere" are the main source of these chemicals in the Arctic.
The study also found that the presence of brine, also known as highly saline water, in young ice can actually add to the concentration of PFAAs in different layers within the sea ice through climate change.
As the planet warms up, researchers said the cycles of melting and freezing form pockets of highly saline water in Arctic sea ice, trapping the toxic chemicals and then releasing them into the underlying ocean.
Researchers said brine channels on the underside of ice floes typically serve as habitats for those organisms at the bottom of the marine food chain, and warn they will be exposed to high levels of PFAAs as the ice thaws.
Researchers added that these chemicals can then move up the food chain due to their "protein-binding characteristics." They warned that certain types of PFAS are associated with liver damage in mammals, and can also affect fetal development in both humans and other mammals.
Halsall said in the press release that global warming has caused the Arctic Ocean to be "dominated" by one-year ice, formed the previous winter, rather than over many years.
As one-year ice contains more brine, Halsall said this could lead to a "rapid release" of the stored pollutants resulting in high concentrations of PFAS in the waters surrounding ice floes.
To help combat this, the research team is calling for global restrictions on the use of PFAS as well as further research into how chemical exposure impacts those organisms at the base of the marine food chain.
"It is only through this type of investigative science that we can understand the dynamics of pollutant behavior and identify key hazards, particularly those related to climate change," researchers said in the release.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.