How do Natural Processes Impact Landscape Recovery from Arsenic Contamination Near Yellowknife?

Understanding how changes in precipitation impacts arsenic movement helps us anticipate how climate change may affect arsenic concentrations in soil and water.

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Champ Valeur
Creator NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program
Summary Decades after the Giant Mine roaster released arsenic into the air, nearby areas are still polluted. We confirmed previous findings that arsenic levels in soil and water remain higher than safety guidelines in places people can easily access. The arsenic trioxide found near Pocket Lake is from the Mine’s roaster and easily washes from soil into water, and eventually into lakes when the snow melts or it rains. These results show the land has not recovered from arsenic contamination and it could take up to thousands of years to heal.
Local Relevance Understanding how changes in precipitation impacts arsenic movement helps us anticipate how climate change may affect arsenic concentrations in soil and water near Yellowknife, NWT
Notes This bulletin is part of the Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program's NWT Environmental Research Bulletin series - Volume 10, Issue 86.
Mots-clés arsenic,Contaminants,Yellowknife
Geographic Region NWT
Release Date 2026
Last Modified Date 2026
Funding Program NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program