Health Canada

Boron can be present in drinking water supplies through weathering of boron-containing rocks and soils, seawater spray and volcanoes as well as from anthropogenic sources such as wastewater from municipal sewage treatment and industrial processes, pesticide application and other human activities....

Standardized methods available for the analysis of malathion in source and drinking water and their respective MDLs are summarized in Table 4. MDLs are dependent on the sample matrix, instrumentation and selected operating conditions and will vary between individual laboratories. These methods...

This guideline technical document was prepared in collaboration with the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water and is based on assessments of malathion completed by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency and supporting documents.

Table A-1. Total boron concentrations for select river basins across Canada, taken from Environment and Climate Change Canada's long-term monitoring data (2000-2015)

Analytical methods to detect boron. Standardized methods available for the analysis of total boron in drinking water and their respective MDLs are summarized in Table 3. MDLs are dependent on the sample matrix, instrumentation, and selected operating conditions and will vary between individual...

Source water characterization should be part of routine system assessments. Boron is not widely distributed in source water in Canada and tends to be present at elevated concentrations only in groundwater in certain areas. Therefore, utilities should consult the responsible authority to determine...

The World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. EPA, Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council and the European Commission have developed guidelines or advisory values for boron in drinking water (Table 6). WHO (2011), Australia (NHMRC and NRMCC, 2011) and the European Commission (2020)...

covers the literature up to 2012. The present assessment considers the previous data, as well as material published after this period from 2012 to 2018. Health Canada has also previously reviewed the toxicity of boric acid, its salts and its precursors under the Canadian Environmental Protection...

The average total daily boron intake from environmental media, food and drinking water for the general Canadian population ranges from 3 to 92 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day, depending on the age group, with an estimated 3% to 16% of total dietary intake attributable to drinking water (ECCC and...

This guideline technical document was prepared in collaboration with the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water and assesses all available information on boron. A maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of 5 mg/L (5 000 μg/L) is established for total boron in drinking water...

The Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality consist of multiple guideline technical documents that consider the various factors that could interfere with the safety of recreational waters from a human health perspective. This includes technical documents on understanding and managing...

Guideline Technical Document for Public Consultation Consultation period ends November 28, 2023. Purpose of consultation: This guideline technical document evaluated the available information on iron with the intent of updating the guideline value for iron in drinking water.

This guideline technical document outlines the evaluation of the available information on calcium, magnesium, hardness, chloride, sulphate, total dissolved solids (TDS) and hydrogen sulphide with the intent of updating the guideline value for these operational parameters in drinking water. The...

This guideline technical document evaluated the available information on microbiological pathogens and biological hazards in recreational waters with the intent to provide regulatory authorities and decision-makers with guidance on these topics. The purpose of this consultation is to solicit...

Water Quality , Reports and Publications

Guidelines for the fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci have been developed for recreational areas used for primary contact activities (see Table 1 and Table 2). These values consider both the potential health risks and the benefits of recreational water use in...

This guideline technical document evaluated the available information on fecal indicator organisms in recreational waters with the intent of updating/recommending guideline values. The purpose of this consultation is to solicit comments on the proposed guidelines, on the approach used for their...

Health Canada assesses the health risks posed by specific indoor pollutants in residential environments and provides recommendations on how to reduce those risks. Residential Indoor Air Quality Guidelines (RIAQG) summarize the known health effects, pollutant sources, and exposure levels in...

These guidelines will help all persons (individuals and companies) who store and/or transport drugs to comply with Canada’s Food and Drugs Act (the Act) in accordance with C.02.015 of the Food and Drug Regulations (the Regulations).