Substances Requiring Risk Management

Canadians have a right to expect clean air, clean water, and a clean environment. Nevertheless, toxic substances which may pose potential risks to human health are often either necessary elements or unavoidable by-products of industry, transportation, waste disposal, and so on. A strict precautionary and preventative approach to monitoring, evaluation and developing control measures is necessary to ensure that these substances do not find their way into the environment at levels which will lead to adverse health effects.

Health Canada works to serve the people of Canada by controlling or eliminating the release of toxic substances into the environment. It works with many other branches of government both federally and provincially, and is partnered with Environment Canada in fulfilling and enforcing the duties of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). In addition to its regulatory and management activities, Health Canada also engages in multi-stakeholder consultation and public education to ensure that all Canadians are informed partners in toxic substance risk management.

In this section, you will find information of relevance to industry, stakeholders and the Canadian public on Health Canada's management of toxic substances, including links to current topics, publications, as well as the risk management framework Health Canada and its partners utilize to protect the health of Canadians from environmental contaminants.

In addition to working to protecting Canadians from the risk of exposure to contaminants in the environment, Health Canada also works to ensure the safety of the products we use and the places we work. To learn more, visit the Consumer Product Safety and Occupational Health & Safety sections of this site.

Risk Management Progress - CEPA PSL 1 Substances

Risk Management Progress - CEPA PSL 2 Substances

Current Topics

Mercury