Acids and Bases Group Assessment Finalized

Summary#

On April 27, 2024, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Health published the final assessment of the Acids and Bases Group — 22 substances on the Domestic Substances List — under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. They concluded that 16 of those substances do not meet the Act’s environmental-risk criteria and that 6 do not meet the human-health danger criterion, and said they will take no further action at this time.

What it does#

• Reports the results of a joint federal assessment of the 22 substances called the Acids and Bases Group.
• Finds that 16 substances (listed in the notice) do not meet the environment-related tests in section 64 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
• Finds that the other 6 substances (including chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chlorate, calcium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, and hydroxylammonium chloride) do not meet the human-health danger test in section 64(c). These six had previously been reviewed for ecological concerns but lacked a human-health conclusion until now.
• Announces that the ministers propose to take no further regulatory action on these substances at this time.
• Explains the assessment considered how the chemicals behave in water, how people and the environment might be exposed, and existing data from Canadian industry and international sources.
• Notes where these substances are commonly used (for example in disinfectants, cleaners, paint additives, fertilizers, water treatment, and some consumer products) and that the full assessment is available on Canada.ca.

Who's affected#

• Manufacturers and users of the chemicals listed — for example, companies in paint and coatings, water treatment, pulp and paper, cleaning and disinfecting products, fertilizers, and some food- and cosmetic-related industries.
• Municipal and industrial wastewater operators, because the assessment looked at pH and wastewater effluent as a potential exposure route.
• Workers and consumers who use products that contain these chemicals. The assessment found current exposure levels are not of concern, but usual workplace and product safety rules still apply.
• The broader public is unlikely to see new federal restrictions for these substances right now. If it is unclear whether a specific business or product is covered, the full assessment lists the substances and uses.

Why it matters#

• This decision signals that, based on current evidence, the federal government considers the risks from these 22 substances to be low at current levels of use and exposure in Canada. That means no immediate new national controls or bans for them are planned.
• For businesses, this can mean regulatory stability for products and processes that use these chemicals — at least for now.
• For the public, it means routine exposures from water, air and many consumer products were evaluated and not judged to pose a danger under the law at current levels.
• The notice also includes limits: six substances were not re-evaluated ecologically in this assessment, and conclusions are specific to the information and exposure estimates available. The full assessment on Canada.ca gives the detailed reasoning and any caveats.