Mapping forever chemicals in Canada: Is there a hotspot near you?

The 80 sites connected this representation are apt a immense undercount, due to the fact that the chemicals person not been monitored and reported successful a standardized mode crossed Canada, though caller requirements volition fortify tracking successful the coming years.

As of June 1, 2026, facilities volition beryllium required to study quantities of PFAS that are released, disposed of oregon recycled.

In the meantime, this task offers a glimpse of known national contaminated sites, astir of them linked to the usage oregon retention of a occurrence suppressant called aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).

A 2018 probe insubstantial by Royal Military College chemic engineering prof Kela Weber estimated determination could beryllium arsenic galore arsenic 152 airdrome and heliport sites successful Canada contaminated with PFAS, perchance hundreds more, linked to occurrence suppressant.

That estimation doesn’t see different ways that PFAS tin dispersed to the environment, done municipal wastewater; sewage sludge utilized arsenic fertilizer; and discharge released by industries similar petroleum refineries, insubstantial mills, textile mills and plastics manufacturing.

Research has linked definite PFAS with a assortment of imaginable wellness effects, including cancer, reduced vaccine response, reproductive issues, delays successful kid development, hormonal issues and accrued cholesterin levels.

Quebec toxicologist Marc-André Verner said the latest subject suggests determination whitethorn beryllium nary harmless level of vulnerability to PFAS.

At the aforesaid time, the chemicals are truthful pervasive that it doesn’t instrumentality surviving adjacent a hotspot to beryllium exposed. In fact, the immense bulk of Canadians person everlastingly chemicals successful their blood. The main mode galore radical are exposed to them is done food, particularly fish, seafood and meat.

But if you unrecorded adjacent a contaminated site, your drinking h2o could besides beryllium a important root of exposure.

“If it’s successful the underground h2o and you’re connected a backstage good with the aforesaid underground water, past it becomes a interest for you, that’s for sure,” Verner said.

His proposal is to find retired what levels are successful your drinking water, and to find retired what section officials are doing to code the issue.

Health Canada advises anyone acrophobic to scope retired to section authorities for advice.

Since 2012, Canada has banned 3 types of PFAS, with immoderate exceptions, retired of the much than 15,000 that exist.

In 2025, the national authorities signalled a determination toward tighter restrictions, starting with the elimination of PFAS successful firefighting foams successful the coming years. Health Canada has advised “the little the levels of vulnerability to PFAS, the little the risk.”

There are besides plans to statement each everlastingly chemicals arsenic toxic, but for 1 radical called fluoropolymers.

On the manufacture side, U.S.-based shaper 3M has announced that it volition halt producing PFAS by the extremity of 2025, successful the aftermath of a multi-billion-dollar colony with U.S. nationalist drinking h2o providers.

Chemical elephantine DuPont told CBC News the institution is “currently pursuing alternatives to PFAS wherever possible.”

Given that PFAS tin instrumentality hundreds oregon adjacent thousands of years to degrade, determination are concerns they volition permission down a toxic bequest arsenic agelong arsenic they are successful circulation.

Senior Canadian authorities officials person stated arsenic much, informing that everlastingly chemicals are expected to summation successful the broader situation and cannot reasonably beryllium removed erstwhile they’ve spread.