How Doug Ford's airport expansion plans will poison us with deadly Ultrafine Particles
More jets and more flights from Billy Bishop Airport mean we will breathe more pollution.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that he is taking over Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport on the Toronto Islands, with the intent of allowing what he calls “whisper jets” to use the airport. According to the CBC, Ford doesn't think allowing jets make much of a difference as the smaller planes that currently fly out of Billy Bishop are "pretty loud." As for the objections to his plans, he says, "We can't let the very, very few amount (sic) of people determine the future of our province and our city."
There is no question that the new, smaller jets like the Airbus A220 (formerly the Bombardier C Series) and the Embraer E195-E2 with geared turbofans are significantly quieter than older jets, by as much as 60%. But they are still noisier than the Q400 turboprops, which land there now- the Q400 is rated at a noise level of 78.6 EPNdB (Effective Perceived Noise level in Decibels), the A220 comes in at 86–89 EPNdB depending on weight, and the Embraer comes in at about 82 EPNdB. Decibel scales are logarithmic; a 10 dB increase is perceived as double the volume, so the perceived volume of the so-called whisper jets is likely between 60% and 100% louder.
More jets mean more Ultrafine Particle Pollution
But there is a more serious problem than noise, which Doug Ford ignores- particulate pollution. Jets burn about 30% more fuel than the Q400 and, accordingly, produce more PM2.5 and ultrafine particles. The biggest gap in fuel efficiency is during takeoff and climb, when turboprops are particularly efficient.
A review of air quality near airports found that “ultrafine particulate matter (UFP) is elevated in and around airports. Furthermore, many studies show elevated levels of particulate matter under 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), black carbon, criteria pollutants, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well.” Adverse health effects of increased particulate pollution include “increased rates of premature death, pre-term births, decreased lung function, oxidative DNA damage and childhood leukemia.”
In a previous post, Ultrafine particles are killing us, and most of us have never even heard of them, I quoted McGill University Professor Scott Weichenthal:
“Ultrafine particles are incredibly small, allowing them to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Increasing evidence suggests these pollutants may contribute to heart and lung diseases, as well as certain forms of cancer."
Pearson Airport is big and surrounded by a lot of industry and warehousing. Billy Bishop is close to a lot of people in condos, and we are adding many more. You do not want them sucking in ultrafine and other particulates.
A 2024 study, Aircraft Activities and Ultrafine Particle Concentrations near a City Airport, [Billy Bishop] found ultrafine particle spikes of up to 50,000 particles per cubic centimetre.
“This study revealed a 20% higher mean UFP level during take-off and landing periods compared to no take-off or landing periods at the Ferry Terminal station. We noted higher UFP levels when the wind was from the south and southeast directions, which aligned with aircraft generally accelerating from the eastern side of the airport during take-off. Comparing UFP levels at the Ferry Terminal station to the background station at Hanlan’s Point, the former exceeded the WHO good practice for high PNC [particle number counts] levels 2 times more often for 24 h averages and 4 times more often for 1 h averages.”
The Q400 turboprops are not free of particulate emissions and are already a problem, but jets are worse, and there will be more of them.
Another recent study, Unique Microphysical Structures of Ultrafine Particles Emitted from Turbofan Jet Engines, claims that while international standards measure soot or fine particle emissions, the exhaust gases from jet engines condense into vast quantities of ultrafine particles that dwarf the soot-particle count by a hundred to one. These particles are formed outside the engine through nucleation, in which gas molecules condense and cluster into particles of 10–20 nanometres. The particles “may tend to accumulate in the human body after being deposited in the respiratory tract.” These are not regulated under current standards because they form after the gases have been exhausted from the engine.
This study is new, but there is lots to complain about from earlier studies:
The Toronto study, which found that existing turboprops already generate 20% higher levels of ultrafine particles.
The McGill study I covered earlier, which linked ultrafine particles to over 1,000 deaths per year in Montreal and Toronto.
The review of air quality near airports, which “consistently showed that ultrafine particulate matter (UFP) is elevated in and around airports.”
A study of airports in China during the pandemic which showed a dramatic drop in pollution when airports were closed.
In the previous post on UFPs, I quoted Scott Weichenthal from a McGill press release:
“Our research shows a clear link between long-term UFP exposures and increased mortality risk, underscoring the urgent need for regulatory actions targeting these particles,” said Weichenthal. “As urban areas continue to grow, addressing air pollution is increasingly crucial for the health and well-being of city dwellers.”
And here we are today, with Doug Ford proposing to add more planes, each jet burning 30% more fuel and pumping out vast quantities of ultrafine particles right over his fancy health spa, while we add thousands more residents under their flight path.
A year ago, I asked, Why is Doug Ford trying to kill us? It seems like every week, he finds new ways to stick it to more of us.
Dear Lloyd,
I apologize for the length but you hit a real sore point with me. I work every day to fight against Doug Ford's constant attacks on the people of Ontario, and I help fund this fight too. I was born in Ontario and this is the first time I've felt it necessary to act to protect our province from ruin. I don't want to spend my time doing this. It's a drain on my time and pocketbook but worse, it takes a toll on my mental and physical health. Wasn't the pandemic enough cruelty for anyone's lifetime? We haven't suffered nearly enough for dictator Ford it seems! Even though we've had many wins, he seems unstoppable in the long-run and this deeply upsets me.
The problem is that Ford eliminates or alters good long-standing provincial laws every time he loses. So, it's become a very unfair battle for the average taxpayer even when the law is initially on our side. When Conservation Authorities got in the way of his urban sprawl plans, he dissolved their offices and removed their power to stop him, as a dictator would. When 'species at risk' got in the way, Ford declared himself the only authority on the worthiness of protecting any species, just like a dictator would do. I naively thought the laws of our (supposedly) democratic province, or country, would stop this attack on the protection of our province's life-protecting public resources. But but horrifyingly, this anti-democratic behavior has been allowed to continue in Ontario today. Why? How? Where is the law of democracy? Are we just Ford's puppets now? I have a much higher degree than Ford but am quite powerless to stop this empathy-lacking leader who clearly doesn't care about me or my family in ANY way.
And equally undemocratic, Ford has been allowed to create his own bullying agencies to halt any good progress we might make at the municipal planning level too. For example, few people may realize how he continues to threaten Ontario's Greenbelt with development proposals. Don't be fooled by Doug Ford's constant lies about 'not touching the Greenbelt.' His Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) overrides good municipal government planning decisions, and our city is under a disagreement with the OLT right now over a parcel of Greenbelt land in Ancaster Ontario. Ontario's Greenbelt is definitely still under attack by Doug Ford!
But how can this be possible when it's illegal for the OLT to overturn a municipal planning decision concerning lands inside the Greenbelt? I think it will be impossible to save our Greenbelt in its entirety with dictator Ford in power because he'll just work to change the law for his own benefit every time he's blocked. Our laws no longer keep the government from doing whatever they want in Ontario. It's a completely undemocratic and dangerous time for already strapped taxpayers here. Good laws are constantly being eliminated to make way for schemes desired by a poorly-educated, climate-change denying dictator. It's incredibly scary!
I sincerely hope that Doug Ford doesn't destroy everything good about our beautiful province before he is gone from office. Every letter I send him contains this sentence: "STOP HURTING US!" He clearly doesn't care about taxpayers. He hoards our hard-earned money for his bad planning schemes while running healthcare, education, air & water quality, food security, etc. into the ground. For the first time in my life, I don't feel safe living in Ontario because of Doug Ford's uncaring government. I consider him unfit for political office because either he doesn't understand what a good decision for taxpayers is, or he really doesn't care about us one bit. A politician's job is 'to protect the public,' so I think Doug Ford is in the wrong job.
I feel that our democracy and freedom are under a real threat in Ontario today because of Doug Ford's incredibly poor leadership. I feel like a peasant who has no say in how the province spends my taxes. Even when a good decision is made, like funding "green steel in Hamilton", Doug Ford finds a way to reverse it and deny us any hope for a healthy future. As my federal MP brags about green steel for Hamilton in his latest newsletter, our premier has already taken that funding back. Doug Ford is definitely the worst premier Ontario has ever had and I have no doubt that he may kill us just by overloading us with debilitating stress. If Ford doesn't kill us with tiny particulate matter or stress, he'll certainly kill us through illnesses caused by his refusal to fund our public healthcare system properly (or at all?). What a great way to make it look like we need privatization. eh?
He may also choose to kill us by divebombing us with more undemocratic, illegal and/or harmful omnibus bills. Underfunding public healthcare and attacking the public with unmanageable omnibus bills should be illegal. It's impossible for the public to address our concerns in every bill -- in large part because our input has been so restricted by Doug Ford -- but also because it's much harder to provide input when it takes months to find a doctor for a serious health concern, as just one example.
And now, as Doug Ford continues with his next cut to the public heart, he puts our beloved conservation areas under threat - the one place we can go to forget the constant stress he causes. It would be less stressful for me today, if Doug Ford just dropped a bomb on my head and put me out of my misery. Then I'd be at peace and he can continue to waste Ontarians' taxes on his next childish dream scheme. No doubt about it - Doug Ford will never help Ontario taxpayers.
Ford's urban sprawl plans for unaffordable housing and unnecessary warehouses alone may bankrupt us in the future, never mind the spa, science centre and tunnel that taxpayers don't need or want to spend billions on. Doug Ford's repeated technique is to exclude and/or ignore almost all public and municipal input during the provincial planning process. He has gone so far as to create provincial bullying agencies (like the dictatorial OLT and his newly announced conservation agency) to ensure that his wasteful schemes become reality. And if they fail or go way over-budget? All costs go to Ontario's taxpayers instead the man who made the terrible decisions.
He's lost every battle in a decade-long case involving a youth group who sued him for his complete lack of action on climate change which is necessary to secure a safe Ontario for future generations. That case has gone right to the Supreme Court of Canada where Doug Ford's government lost again. But Ford is appealing, keeping this in court until it may be too late for those young people to have a safe future at all. Doug Ford is not a kind man and does not have the public's best interest in mind, so please, whoever is voting for him: PLEASE VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS AND PUBLIC WELL-BEING!
I do hope that Ford's poor performance ensures that he loses the next election he enters. He's the worst leader Ontario has ever had. I don't understand why the courts or the feds can't stop him from hurting us? After all, the Supreme Court of Canada agrees that he's not leading Ontario to benefit future generations. Lloyd's absolutely right, I think Doug Ford is killing us too -- but in multiple ways.
Before Doug Ford destroys them completely, we need to save:
- public funded good healthcare;
- public education for all;
- public conservation areas that restore our sanity;
- our existing public Science Centre with a roof that is just fine with minor inexpensive repairs (provincial liars!);
- Toronto's public lakeshore access - from parking lots, jets and an ultra-expensive spa built by a shady-sounding company;
- our natural water-filtering wetlands - to protect our water quality and supply;
- our farmland so we can grow enough food during the next pandemic;
- our endangered species and unthreatened species from uncontrolled OLT-directed urban sprawl;
- our streams and rivers from over-generous provincial water-bottling permits;
- the many other life-giving resources that Doug Ford takes for granted!
Taxpayers in Ontario depend on all of these things to maintain our quality of life. We can't let Doug Ford take all of this from us! We need a new premier, a smarter premier, a caring premier. Vet your candidate choices very carefully...we need a strong democratic law-abiding leader in Ontario. Our mini-Trump, Doug Ford, already makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Hey, I do want to point out that we do actually have to measure ultrafine particles when comparing jets and turboprops, instead of using fuel consumption as a proxy. That toronto study said that bigger, newer planes have fewer particulates than older, smaller planes