© Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty ImagesAn aerial view of the Suncor oil sands extraction facility on the banks of the Athabasca River and near the town of Fort McMurray in Alberta
Edmonton - A study released on Monday shows that the oilsands industry increases the concentrations of dangerous metals, such as mercury, in locations downstream of development.
National or provincial guidelines for the protection of aquatic life were exceeded for seven of these metals: cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver and zinc - in melted snow and/or water, says the research, published in the prestigious scientific journal called the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research was led by Erin Kelly and David Schindler, two ecologists at the University of Alberta. Other scientists from Queen's University in Kingston and Alaska also contributed.