Canada Regulatory News

On the 5th of  August, the Government of Canada nominated long-chain PFCAs, their salts and related compounds (also known as precursors) for consideration under the Stockholm Convention on Persis...

On the 5th of  August, the Government of Canada nominated long-chain PFCAs, their salts and related compounds (also known as precursors) for consideration under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The Stockholm Convention is a multilateral treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment by eliminating/restricting the global production and use of POP.s POPs are chemicals that: 

• remain intact in the environment for a long period of time 
• accumulate in living organisms 

• are harmful to humans and/or to the environment 
• have properties that cause them to travel long distances and become widely distributed throughout the environment 

Although long-chain PFCAs, their salts and related compounds have previously undergone a Canadian ecological screening assessment, the report concluded that long-chain PFCAs, their salts and their precursors are entering the environment at levels that are harmful to the environment. The manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or import of long-chain PFCAs, their salts and precursors and products that contain them have been prohibited since 2016, under the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 , with a limited number of exemptions. However, these substances have not been evaluated in Canada from a human health perspective. 

Human and animal toxicity data are not available for every long-chain PFCA, salt or related compound. However, considering that long-chain PFCAs have similar structures and substances with similar structures behave similarly in the body, all of these substances may be associated with similar health effects. 

Furthermore, a growing number of jurisdictions, including the United States, Australia and the European Union, are developing action plans to address the PFAS class of chemicals, including long-chain PFCAs. 

Canada’s environment and health ministries have suggested including solvent violet 13 to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist, a move that would restrict the dye’s use in cosmetic...

Canada’s environment and health ministries have suggested including solvent violet 13 to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist, a move that would restrict the dye’s use in cosmetics placed in the country.  

The two government agencies nominated to add the dye to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), that is, the country’s toxic substances list. To manage exposure risks, the government has recommended imposing potential bans or restrictions on the substance’s use in certain cosmetics through its addition to Health Canada’s Hotlist.  

The government proposed this upon the findings of 2018 screening assessment which concluded that exposure to the substance can increase one’s risk of cancer and lead to toxic effects in the kidneys, liver, spleen or bones. The colourant was one of seven anthraquinone substances assessed.  

The government said solvent violet 13 are not only used in cosmetics but also in candles, pet shampoos, and food packaging. However, no other exposure routes were identified as sources of concern beyond cosmetics. 

Interested parties may submit comments on the proposed risk management action and any other related information until 15 September. 

The ministries said the other six substances do not meet the criteria set out in section 64 of CEPA to justify a toxic substance listing. As a result, the government proposed taking no further regulatory action on: 

•  pigment blue 60; 
•  solvent violet 59; 
•  solvent blue 36; 
•  disperse red 60; 
•  acid blue 239; and 
•  9,10-anthracenedione, 1,4-diamino-, N,N′-mixed 2-ethylhexyl and me and pentyl derivs. 

Canada’s health and environment ministries have urged the conditions on the use of phosphonic acid, P,P′-(1-hydroxydodecylidene)bis-, allowing the limited amou...

Canada’s health and environment ministries have urged the conditions on the use of phosphonic acid, P,P′-(1-hydroxydodecylidene)bis-, allowing the limited amounts of the anti-adhesive to be used in certain cosmetic products. Since the substance is toxic or capable of becoming toxic under the section 64 criteria of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) 

The ministerial conditions permit the informing entity to only use the substance to manufacture the following cosmetics at a concentration of 0.4% by weight or less: 

1. leave-on hair styling products; 
2. leave-on makeup; and 
3. rinse-off cosmetics. 

Importation is also allowed, if the substance is present in any of the three cosmetic product categories at a concentration of 0.4% by weight or less. 

The Canadian government has finalised regulations to limit formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products and apply the country’s that generally align with that of US.  ...

The Canadian government has finalised regulations to limit formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products and apply the country’s that generally align with that of US. 

The regulation will concern the import, sale and offer for sale of the products for indoor use in Canada, with some exceptions. The government has set the following maximum formaldehyde emission levels: 

• 0.05 parts per million (ppm) for hardwood plywood; 
• 0.09ppm for particleboard; 
• 0.11ppm for medium-density fibreboard; 
• 0.13ppm for thin medium-density fibreboard; and 
• 0.05ppm for laminated products. 

Under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), the rules also set recordkeeping, labelling and reporting requirements for the industry. The government has also finalised a directive on the testing of formaldehyde emissions to ensure consistent levels.  

Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes, nose and throat and aggravate asthma symptoms, especially in children. At higher exposure levels, it has been associated with cancer of the nasal passageways as concluded by the Health Canada.  

Most products imported or sold in Canada will have to meet the new requirements by January 2023, 18 months after their official publication date. Laminated products, however, have five years – until July 2026 – to comply with the emission limits, testing, and certification requirements.

Performance measurement evaluations provide Canadians with information on the effectiveness of the risk management actions in place for the substances that are found to be toxic under the Can...

Performance measurement evaluations provide Canadians with information on the effectiveness of the risk management actions in place for the substances that are found to be toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). The risk management, human health, and environmental objectives are systematically evaluated using robust data and expert analysis under this plan.

Performance Measurement Evaluation report has been published for Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate having a CAS Registry Number 117-81-7.

DEHP was first assessed by the Government of Canada in 1994, where it was concluded that DEHP may enter the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that may constitute a danger in Canada to human health. Risk management tools (Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist [2009], the Phthalates Regulations [2011], reporting of DEHP content under the Medical Devices Regulations [2008], and provisions under the Food and Drugs Act [1985]) were established to help reduce exposure of DEHP to the general population of Canada in these products.

Overall, risk management tools are intended to meet their goals. Biomonitoring data was collected from three cycles (2007 to 2017) of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) which indicates that Canadians’ exposure to DEHP has progressively decreased since risk management tools were adopted.

The performance measurement evaluation recommends ongoing measurement of DEHP in the CHMS and monitoring of the Phthalates Regulations. Ongoing reporting of DEHP concentrations in medical devices is also recommended.

Concluded details on the Performance Management Evaluation for DEHP can be accessed at Performance Measurement Evaluation for Risk Management of Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Health Component.

Latest update: 2021-06-30

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has suggested federal environmental quality guidelines (FEQGs) for aluminum, selenium, and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4). For this, a draft has bee...

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has suggested federal environmental quality guidelines (FEQGs) for aluminum, selenium, and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4). For this, a draft has been set out for the threshold levels acceptable in the environment for these substances.

FEQGs have laid down concentration levels for these chemicals below which the government assumes that there is a low likelihood of adverse effects on aquatic life or animals in the food chain.

The use of these set guidelines is voluntary unless they are integrated into other regulations. However, they can be used in environmental monitoring, risk management as well as performance measures of these chemicals.

The ECCC has suggested an equation to calculate a site-specific FEQG for aluminum, based on a fresh water body’s level of dissolved oxygen, pH, and water hardness. For selenium, the department has set separate guideline values for fish egg ovary tissue (14.7µg/g), fish whole body tissue (6.7µg/g) and bird eggs (11µg/g). 

Suggested target for D4 in water is 0.2µg/L. 

Comments would be accepted on the proposed threshold by August 11.

Reference: Chemical Watch

Latest Update:  2021-06-15

The Government of Canada evaluated the risks of PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs, and published the findings in screening assessment reports in 2006 and 2012. The PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs (and ...

The Government of Canada evaluated the risks of PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs, and published the findings in screening assessment reports in 2006 and 2012. The PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs (and their salts and precursors) are prohibited through regulations in Canada; however, scientific evidence to date indicates the PFAS used to replace regulated PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs may also be associated with environmental and/or human health effects. These substances are predominately known for their composition of carbon-fluorine bonds. This kind of bond is so strong that it makes it difficult to degrade naturally. The Government of Canada has been conducting regular monitoring and surveillance of certain PFAS in terms of exposures from sources, including air, dust, water, products, and food.

The PFAS called the Per and Polyfluorinated substances are a large group of over 5000 human-made substances that have been used in firefighting foams, surfactants, cosmetic non-stick cookware, food packaging and stain-repellent fabrics, textiles, cosmetics and in other numerous areas. These substances are also referred as Forever chemicals because they remain for a longer time in the environment. Therefore, there are growing concerns about how they accumulate in both human and wildlife tissues. 

Adverse environmental and health effects have been observed for well-studied PFAS. Therefore, the Government of Canada intends to approach PFAS as a Single Class. A notice of intent to address the broad class of PFAS was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 155 No. 17 – April 24, 2021. 

With this background, the Canadian Government will continue to collect and examine information on PFSA to inform class-based approach and review policy development in other jurisdictions. They will publish various Reports which will contain information on PFAS Classification.  The input will be welcomed from the various stakeholders and interested parties. stakeholders are invited to provide initial feedback on the intent to address PFAS as a class, including challenges or opportunities they foresee or indicate their interest in being engaged in future discussions by emailing eccc.substances.eccc@canada.ca.