Canada announces plans to assess nine groups of substances

Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan administered under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) purports to protect Canadian citizens and its environment from the risks of harmful chemicals.

The Government of Canada has announced plans to assess with the intent to eventually manage, the potential health and ecological risks associated with approximately 500 substances across nine groups. First a notice of intent for the aromatic azo- and benzidine-based substance group was published on June 5, 2010.

Recently in October 2011 an announcement that applies to this group with eight additional groups of substances was published in the Canada Gazette.
These substance groups have been selected for further action based on the categorisation(http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/about-apropos/categor/index-eng.php) exercise completed in 2006 and new information received as part of the first phase of the Chemicals Management Plan. The groups were identified “based on structural or functional similarities and were assembled based on considerations related to assessment efficiencies, management efficiencies, the ability to support informed substitution decisions, timing of international actions and stakeholder engagement.”

The nine groups of substances are:
1. Aromatic azo- and benzidine-based substance
2. Substituted diphenylamines
3. Cobalt-containing substances
4. Methylenediphenyl diisocyanates and diamines (MDI/MDA)
5. Certain internationally classified substances with potential for exposure to individuals in Canada
6. Selenium-containing substances
7. Certain organic flame retardants
8. Phthalates
9. Boron-containing substances

A full list of the substances considered for inclusion in each group and covered under this announcement of planned actions can be found in website(http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/group/index-eng.php).