Atmospheric concentrations and deposition rates of particulate elements are important indicators for determining the potential impacts of the oil sands industries on the local environment. The datasets consist of measured ambient air concentrations (in PM2.5 and PM2.5-10) and estimated deposition rates (based on PM10) of nearly 50 trace and major elements in the Athabasca oil sands region, Alberta, Canada. Data correspond to the years 2016 and 2017 for the following air monitoring stations: Fort McKay (AMS1), Buffalo Viewpoint (AMS4), Wapasu Creek (AMS17), and Stoney Mountain (AMS18), which are part of a larger network, monitoring various types of pollutants such as particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic compounds, etc. The samplers were operated once every three (AMS1, AMS4, and AMS18) or six days (AMS17) with a 24-hour sampling time (midnight-midnight) following the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program protocol, set by the Environment and Climate Change Canada. The particulate matter samples were analyzed by using non-destructive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) and by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with microwave-assisted acid digestion (ICP-MS) to determine the elemental concentrations. Subsequently, the dry deposition rates of the elements were estimated from the measured ambient concentrations and size-resolved modeled dry deposition velocities, and the wet deposition rates were estimated from the measured ambient concentrations, precipitation rates, and a literature database of scavenging ratios of the elements. The elements include the toxic metals such as Cu, Pb, Zn, etc., listed by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
