Adding PFAS to toxic substances list won't necessarily lead to stricter guidelines for drinking water

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A people of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) could beryllium added to Canada's database of toxic substances, but it's improbable to person an contiguous effect connected communities already contaminated with the "forever chemicals," such arsenic North Bay, Ont. 

In aboriginal March, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced it would determination to adhd PFAS to the country's authoritative toxic substances list.

Because they don't interruption down easily and are large astatine repelling water, PFAS are recovered successful a fig of mundane products including outdoor clothing, non-stick pans, cosmetics and adjacent immoderate nutrient packaging.

Cassie Barker, the elder programme manager astatine Environmental Defence for toxics, says definite types of PFAS person been recovered to harm the kidneys and immune system.

"It harms the endocrine system," she said. "The basal gathering blocks of your assemblage are being interfered with by precise tiny levels of PFAS."

In North Bay, the Department of National Defence (DND) conducted firefighting grooming exercises from the aboriginal 1970s to the mid-1990s astatine the city's Jack Garland Airport with aqueous film-forming foams that incorporate PFAS.

Over that time, the foams seeped into groundwater and contaminated wells and Trout Lake, the root of drinking h2o for the metropolis of 52,000. 

Ontario's Ministry of the Environment has an interim proposal value, oregon recommendation, for PFAS successful drinking h2o that is 70 nanograms per litre. Those values are based connected guidelines from Health Canada and are equivalent to 3.5 drops successful an Olympic-sized swimming pool. 

The ministry tests Trout Lake for 11 substances that autumn wrong the PFAS household and successful 2023 the mean measurement for those chemicals was 56 nanograms per litre.

Toxic substances database opens doorway for regulations

If PFAS are added to Canada's toxic substances list, though, it would not effect successful immoderate contiguous changes to regulations. 

"Adding a substance to Schedule 1 of CEPA ( Canadian Environmental Protection Act) does not successful and of itself restrict oregon prohibit the substance; rather, it enables hazard absorption instruments to beryllium developed specified arsenic regulations nether the Act," Environment Canada said successful an email to CBC News.

Environment Canada has published a projected hazard absorption program for PFAS, which could pb to banning the usage of PFAS successful user products and firefighting foams.

That would trim immoderate aboriginal PFAS contamination into the environment, but would not impact drinking h2o standards, arsenic those are managed by Health Canada.

Stricter drinking h2o guidelines

Last summer, Health Canada updated its nonsubjective worth for the sum attraction of 25 types of PFAS successful drinking h2o to 30 nanograms per litre. North Bay's measurements from 2023 transcend that.

As the provincial regulator, Ontario's Ministry of the Environment said it is presently "reviewing the ground of Health Canada's caller nonsubjective and volition measure the applicability for its usage successful Ontario and the champion mode to instrumentality it."

In the meantime, North Bay has been moving with DND connected a $20-million program to remediate the tract astatine the airdrome wherever PFAS seeped into the environment. 

City spokesperson Gord Young said they've removed 23,000 tonnes of contaminated ungraded from the tract truthful far.

"Adsorptive worldly is besides being injected astatine excavated blistery spots, with this signifier expected to beryllium completed by aboriginal May," Young said successful an email to CBC News.

Young said the adjacent signifier of the cleanup volition beryllium to add underground barriers to support h2o from seeping retired of the area. That enactment is scheduled to commencement successful aboriginal 2026.