"Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers"

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America has just released a report "Taking Stock: North American Pollutant Releases and Transfers" analysing the data on pollutant releases in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2006. Featuring a special chapter on surface waters, the report highlights sources of pollutants, including heavy metals, found in two important cross-border river systems - the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo and the Columbia River watersheds. The report also reveals that of the 256 different pollutants released to surface waters, just two - nitrate compounds and ammonia - accounted for 90% of the total volume of pollutants. All Taking Stock series are available on the CEC website.