Indoor Air Guide and PFAS Drinking-Water Objective

Summary#

• Health Canada published two public consultation notices under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 on February 11, 2023: a practical guide called Guidance on Improving Indoor Air Quality in Office Buildings, and a technical proposal called Objective for Canadian Drinking Water Quality — Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances in Drinking Water.
• Both documents were opened for public comment for 60 days (the IAQ guide until April 10, 2023; the PFAS objective until April 12, 2023).

What it does#

• Guidance on indoor air quality in office buildings

  • Explains common causes of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in offices and gives step-by-step preventive and corrective actions for building operators and employers.
  • Covers any size non-industrial office building in Canada, including meeting rooms, lunchrooms and small kitchens.
  • Recommends checking ventilation rates, routine maintenance, good housekeeping, moisture and mould control, appropriate filtration and, when needed, hiring HVAC or occupational-hygiene experts.
  • Is open for comment; written feedback may be sent to air@hc-sc.gc.ca within 60 days.

• Proposed PFAS objective for drinking water

  • Proposes an objective of 30 ng/L for the sum of PFAS detected in drinking water, calculated using specified laboratory methods (U.S. EPA Method 533 or 537.1, or an approved alternative that measures at least 18 PFAS).
  • Is a group-based, precautionary approach intended to replace earlier individual guidelines for some PFAS (including previous values for PFOS and PFOA).
  • Discusses measurement limits, and treatment options such as granular activated carbon, anion exchange and reverse osmosis at municipal scale, and certified residential filters for certain PFAS.
  • Is open for comment; written feedback may be sent to water-eau@hc-sc.gc.ca within 60 days.

Who's affected#

• The IAQ guidance most directly affects:

  • Employers, building owners and facility managers of offices in Canada.
  • Workers and occupants of office buildings.
  • HVAC contractors, maintenance and cleaning staff, and occupational-hygiene consultants.

• The PFAS objective would be relevant to:

  • People who get drinking water from municipal systems and private wells.
  • Municipal water utilities and operators of water treatment plants.
  • Homeowners considering point-of-use treatment devices.
  • Public health and provincial/territorial drinking-water authorities.

• If it’s unclear who exactly will be required to act under either document, that depends on how jurisdictions or regulators use these guidance and objectives after consultation.

Why it matters#

• The IAQ guidance gives practical steps workplaces can use to reduce things that make people sick or uncomfortable indoors (mould, chemical vapours, poor ventilation, and airborne germs). That can affect worker comfort, absenteeism and building maintenance costs.
• The PFAS objective responds to growing concern about a group of persistent chemicals that can appear in drinking water. A group limit of 30 ng/L could lead water systems to test differently and, in some cases, upgrade treatment. It could also prompt homeowners with contaminated wells to consider certified filters.
• Both documents are consultations. They are not final rules yet, but they signal how federal health authorities are thinking about office air and PFAS in drinking water — and they give stakeholders a chance to comment before any final decisions.