Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has established a Canadian Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides (CWMPP). It began with a 2-year pilot and transitioned to the full program in 2024. Provincial, federal and local partners, including members of Indigenous communities, are working with the PMRA to collect surface water and groundwater samples. The PMRA worked with various stakeholders and partners to develop a Framework for water monitoring programs for pesticides. Starting in 2024, the CWMPP sampling program used the guidance outlined in this framework.
Samples collected across Canada are analyzed at various federal and external laboratories for more than 200 pesticides registered for use in Canada and some transformation products. The number of sites and locations vary from year to year as sites are adjusted according to a risk-based selection process. Sampling frequency and collection of ancillary data vary among locations. In general, samples are taken twice per week during the growing season. Ancillary data can include physical-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH and specific conductance as well as cropping and weather information. Data collected will provide increased real-world information on the concentrations of pesticides in Canadian waters to inform PMRA’s regulatory decisions. This data will also allow for the identification of areas where potential risks to human health and aquatic organisms may require further investigation.
To visualize certain aspects of this data, please refer to Health Canada’s dashboard for water monitoring for pesticides.
Authors
Government of Canada:
• Health Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Environmental Assessment Directorate, pmra.water-eau.arla@hc-sc.gc.ca
• Health Canada, Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch, Pesticide Laboratory, EauPestlabWater@hc-sc.gc.ca
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (Public inquiries centre), Fontaine Building 12th floor, 200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd, Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0H3 1-800-668-6767
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Science and Technology Branch aafc.info.aac@agr.gc.ca 1-855-773-0241
Supplemental Information
http://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1