2. Monitoring the environment and human health

Monitoring changes in the environment and human health trends is essential for assessing the impact of toxic substances. It is also essential for assessing the effectiveness of measures put in place to minimize environmental harm and reduce current and potential threats to human life.

2.1 Chemicals

2.1.1 Chemicals in our environment

Monitoring programs contribute to efforts domestically and abroad. The following programs contributed to national monitoring activities:

• the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Program
• the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP)
• the Freshwater Quality Monitoring Program
• the St. Lawrence Action Plan
• the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health (COA)
• the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) Monitoring and Surveillance Program
• the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling network (GAPS)
• the Whales Initiative: monitoring and research on contaminants

Monitoring activities support Canada’s contribution to international efforts, including:

• the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
• the Great Lakes Herring Gull Contaminants Monitoring Program
• the Arctic Council’s Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme and the Arctic Contaminants Action Program
• the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
• the United Nations Environment Programme’s Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Minamata Convention on Mercury

In particular, the CMP Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Program involves the collection of data on the concentration of chemical substances in various environmental media across Canada. Environmental media include surface water, sediment, air, aquatic biota and wildlife. Wastewater system influent, effluent and biosolids are also monitored across a range of input and treatment system types. These activities provide data to inform the assessment and management of chemical substances in the environment.

Examples of priority substances monitored in 2021-2022 as part of the CMP Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Program

• Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs)
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
• Other flame retardants
• Organochlorine pesticides
• Chlorinated alkanes
• Bisphenols
• Metals, including mercury
• Organotins
• Triclocarban

Numerous papers on the presence of chemicals in the environment were published by ECCC scientists in 2021-2022; a few of them are highlighted below as examples.

• Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the Canadian freshwater environment
  Focus of study: to determine concentrations and trends in multiple PFAS compounds in Canadian surface waters
  Results: Thirteen PFAS chemicals were measured in 566 Canadian freshwater samples from 2013 to 2020 with concentrations ranging from below the laboratory detection limit (LOD range: 0.4–1.6 ng/L) to a maximum of 138 ng/L (for PFBS). While concentration of the legacy PFOS and PFOA compounds were found to be declining significantly over time, other newer compounds such as PFPeA and PFBA were found to have increased significantly over 2013–2020. Overall, the range of concentrations found in this study was similar to that of other Canadian and international studies; however, this study revealed more frequent detections of newer replacement PFAS chemicals compared with older Canadian studies.
  Publication: Lalonde, B., Garron, C. Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in the Canadian Freshwater Environment. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 82, 581–591 (2022), DOI: 10.1007/s00244-022-00922-x
• Bioaccumulation of volatile methylsiloxanes in the St. Lawrence River
  Focus of research: Volatile methylsiloxanes (VMS) are anthropogenic substances used in a wide range of commercial applications. High usage of VMS in personal care products and commercial applications can lead to high concentrations in the environment, especially near city wastewater systems.
  Results: VMS were detected in significant concentrations in the foodweb downstream of the wastewater effluent plume of the Montreal municipal wastewater treatment plant. Concentrations were highest in suspended sediments, but were also found in predator and prey fish, and macroinvertebrates. Caged mussels bio-accumulated 43x more total siloxanes than PBDEs, demonstrating that siloxanes are often a substantial component of the contaminant body burden.
  Publications: Pelletier et al. 2021. Influence of wastewater effluents on the bioaccumulation of volatile methylsiloxanes in the St. Lawrence River. STOTEN 806(part 4): 151267; corrigendum to “Influence of wastewater effluents on the bioaccumulation of volatile methylsiloxanes in the St. Lawrence River” STOTEN 836:151267, DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151267
  Corrigendum to: Pelletier, M., Isabel, L. Armellin, A., McDaniel, T., Martin, P., McGoldrick, D., Clark, M., Moore, S. 2022. Influence of wastewater effluents on the bioaccumulation of volatile methylsiloxanes in the St. Lawrence River. STOTEN 836: 155431. DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155431
• Complementarity between targeted and non-targeted screening of halogenated organic pollutants in Great Lakes fish
  Focus of research: The exposure to and impacts of mixtures of contaminants on organisms in the environment is a growing concern. However, characterizing mixtures is challenging. This study explored the complementarity between targeted (TS) and non-targeted screening (NTS) based on liquid and gas-phase chromatography coupled to (high-resolution) mass spectrometry (LC-/GC-(HR)MS) for the characterization of organohalogen fingerprints within a set of Lake Ontario lake trout samples.
  Results: Concentrations of 86 legacy, emerging and novel halogenated compounds, were determined through 4 targeted approaches while 195 halogenated mass spectral features were characterized based on non-targeted high resolution mass spectrometry. Only 21 of the compounds highlighted by targeted analysis were identified by non-targeted screening.
  Publication: Simonnet-Laprade, C., Bayen, S., McGoldrick, D., McDaniel, T., Hutinet, S., Marchand, p., Vénisseau A, Cariou, R., Le Bizec, B., Dervilly, G. 2022. Evidence of complementarity between targeted and non-targeted analysis based on liquid and gas-phase chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry for screening halogenated persistent organic pollutants in environmental matrices. Chemosphere. 293:133615. DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133615

2.1.2 Chemicals in humans

HC human biomonitoring efforts continued in 2021-2022 with the national biomonitoring program conducted under the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), measuring environmental chemical exposures in a nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 3 to 79 years. Collection of data for cycle 7 of the CHMS experienced delays due to modernization efforts at Statistics Canada and subsequently the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the national biomonitoring program used samples collected in previous years and stored in a Biobank to measure priority substances, and initiated a second Biobank project to measure additional priority chemicals in previously collected samples.

In December 2021, the Sixth Report on Human Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicals in Canada – Results of the Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycle 6 (2018–2019) was released. Along with a description of objectives, survey design, methods, and chemical summaries, this report presents data for 79 environmental chemicals in 132 data tables showing measured concentrations for the total Canadian population and sub-divided by age group and sex for CHMS cycles 1 through 6 (2007-2019).

Also, in December 2021, 8 fact sheets were published for: Arsenic, Mercury, Cadmium, Lead, BPA, Parabens, PFAS, and DEHP. Biomonitoring fact sheets are a new resource that summarizes key CHMS findings for CMP priority chemicals. These fact sheets also feature graphical representations of trends over time and comparisons between the general population and vulnerable sub-populations, including data from other biomonitoring initiatives in Canada and the U.S.

Activities of the CHMS in 2021-2022 included:

• laboratory analyses of samples from the CHMS biobank. These samples will provide the first data for some chemicals (such as glyphosate, BPA replacements), and time trends for other priority chemicals (such as fluoride)
• undertaking a feasibility study for collaboration between the national biomonitoring program and a longitudinal biomonitoring survey (CARTaGENE). A longitudinal survey design allows for the measurement of an individual’s exposure levels and health effects over time, providing unique and important biomonitoring information that cannot be derived from a cross-sectional design
• time trends in environmental chemical exposures in Canadians for 39 chemicals measured in at least three-time points between 2007 and 2017 (CHMS cycles 1-5) were published and made available for use by Health Canada and other scientific communities
• CHMS biomonitoring data continues to inform Health Canada’s risk assessment and management activities. For example, CHMS cycle 1, 2, and 5 data were used in a DEHP performance evaluation report published in June 2021, which demonstrated noticeable declines in DEHP exposure after implementing risk management tools
• creation of a Biomonitoring Guidance Value Database and Comparison Tool that compiles currently available human biomonitoring guidance values developed by international organizations and jurisdictions. This tool was made available online and is now actively used by individuals from many countries interested in biomonitoring guidance values
• international networks were strengthened, and information-sharing was facilitated by two meetings of the International Human Biomonitoring Working Group (i-HBM) in November 2021 and January 2022, organized by the national biomonitoring program.

The Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study was established in 2007 to obtain national biomonitoring data for pregnant women and their infants, and to examine possible adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals on pregnancy and infant health. There are several follow-up studies under the MIREC Research Platform, including:

• the MIREC-ID (Infant Development) study
• the MIREC-CD3 (Child Development at 3 years) and MIREC-CD Plus (Early Childhood Biomonitoring and Neurodevelopment) studies
• the MIREC-ENDO (Pubertal Timing, Endocrine and Metabolic Function) study
• HC continued analysis and publication of biomonitoring and research results from the MIREC Research Platform. These included novel assessments of prenatal and early-childhood exposure to chemicals and the establishment of national estimates of maternal and fetal exposures (see section 7.1.2 for publications).

In 2021-2022, progress was made on the follow-up study, MIREC-ENDO, initiated in 2018 to study the effects of prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals on puberty and metabolic function in children and maternal health. In 2021-2022, participant recruitment and questionnaire-based data collection were completed for Phase 1, with 589 families recruited. Phase 2 is underway with participant recruitment and in-person visits set to start in 2022.

The MIREC Biobank, created at the beginning of the MIREC study in 2008, has grown with each follow-up study. The Biobank stores all the data and biological specimens collected since the inception of MIREC. Novel measures added to the Biobank in 2021-2022 include biomarkers of the metabolic, immune system, and endocrine function in mothers and children and biomarkers of metals and perfluoroalkyl substances in children. In 2021-2022, 31 Biobank access requests were received and reviewed.

Monitoring in the North

Both ECCC and HC contributed to the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) led by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC). HC partners with CIRNAC on the human health component of the NCP, which addresses concerns about human exposure to elevated levels of contaminants in wildlife species important to the traditional diets of northern Indigenous peoples. In 2021-2022, HC supported 7 human biomonitoring and health projects under the NCP in several Arctic regions including the Yukon, Inuvialuit Settlement Region and in Nunavik. These projects addressed: exposure to contaminants and links to country foods; understanding dietary decision-making and supporting the development of communication materials; and, the integration of information on country foods, nutrition, food security, and health messaging.

ECCC has been a major contributor in monitoring abiotic media, aquatic biota and wildlife, as well as Arctic ecosystem health. ECCC monitors wildlife at numerous sites across the Canadian Arctic on a biennial or annual basis under the NCP, for a large suite of legacy and new Chemicals of Emerging Arctic Concern (CEACs), as well as metals, including mercury.

2.2 Air pollutants and greenhouse gases monitoring

Monitoring and reporting activities are important for identifying and tracking levels and trends of air pollutants that impact both the environment and human health, as well as greenhouse gases that impact climate change.

2.2.1 Air pollution

Ambient (outdoor) air quality monitoring informs air quality management in Canada, including tracking progress relative to the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards. The data are used to validate numerical air quality prediction models, evaluate the benefits and effectiveness of control measures, and assess the impact of air pollution on Canadians and the environment.

ECCC monitors ambient air quality across the country through 2 complementary networks.

• The National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program provides long-term air quality data from populated regions of Canada. This program is managed through a formal agreement between the provincial and territorial governments and ECCC.
• The Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) provides information on regional patterns and trends of atmospheric pollutants in both air and precipitation at rural and remote sites.

Data collected through NAPS, CAPMoN, and other provincial, territorial, and municipal monitoring stations are used to calculate air quality indicators. The air quality indicators track ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ground-level ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the national, regional, and urban levels, and at local monitoring stations.

Additional air pollutant monitoring carried out by ECCC includes the following networks:

• AEROCAN, the Canadian sub-network of NASA’s global AERONET satellite network, takes optical readings of solar radiation to measure atmospheric aerosols
• The Canadian Brewer Spectrophotometer Network measures the total thickness of the ozone layer (known as total column ozone) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) at selected locations across Canada
• The Canadian Ozonesonde Network measures vertical column ozone from ground level up to 36 km altitude by launching weekly ozonesondes affixed to balloons, providing long-term ozone data

2.2.2 Greenhouse gases

The Canadian Greenhouse Gas Measurement Program includes observations of carbon dioxide and other GHGs from 16 long-term measurement sites across Canada (Figure 2). Among the sites is the Alert Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory. Alert serves as one of 3 global GHG inter-comparison sites to ensure consistent measurement of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gas concentrations across the world.

Figure 2.  Canadian Greenhouse Gas Measurement Program monitoring sites   

ECCC makes its atmospheric monitoring data available to the public through national and international databases, including the Government of Canada Open Data Portal, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Data Centres for GHGs, the WMO World Data Centre for Precipitation Chemistry, and: the WMO World Ozone and Ultraviolet Data Centre which is operated by the Meteorological Service of Canada.

2.3 Disposal at sea site monitoring program

By monitoring disposal sites, ECCC is able to verify that the permitting of disposals at sea is sustainable and that permit holders can have continued access to suitable sites. Where monitoring indicates a problem or where the site has reached its capacity over time, management action in the form of closing the site, moving the site, or altering the site use can occur.

In 2021-2022, monitoring projects were completed at 14 ocean disposal sites nationally, which amounts to monitoring 23% of the 61 actively used sites. Due to the ongoing restrictions on fieldwork resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, many field-monitoring projects were cancelled or postponed.

Pacific region

Given the ongoing restrictions on fieldwork resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, a reduced field program was delivered in Pacific Region in 2021-2022, focusing on priority activities that could be carried out safely. Work continued on sediment contaminant monitoring in and around the Point Grey and Sand Heads disposal sites, in support of the Government of Canada’s Whales Initiative. The Disposal at Sea program’s participation in this five-year initiative (2018 to 2022), including data analysis, is ongoing and results will be reported when data analysis is completed.

Data collection began on the seasonal current velocity and directional information 1 m above the seafloor at the Sand Heads disposal site, part of an ongoing effort to increase understanding of the movement of sediments at disposal sites. Natural Resources Canada is leading this work and results will be reported when data analysis is complete.

ECCC collaborated with the Canadian Hydrographic Survey to complete multibeam bathymetric surveys at the Kitimat Arm 2016 and Point Grey disposal sites. Multibeam bathymetric surveys measure the water depths and map the seafloor topography to delineate the disposal footprint. The Kitimat Arm 2016 disposal site is a new non-dispersive site that was used for the disposal of dredged material resulting from dredging operations in Kitimat Harbour. The Point Grey disposal site is one of the oldest, largest, and most frequently used non-dispersive sites in Canada. Results of the multibeam hydrographic survey from both of these sites confirmed the hypotheses that disposed material remains within the authorized area of each site, which was expected of these non-dispersive sites. Based on these results, ECCC did not identify the need to modify management practices at the Kitimat Arm 2016 or Point Grey disposal sites.

Quebec region

In 2021-2022, a total of 6 disposal sites were monitored in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence off the coast of the province of Quebec; 4 in the Gaspé region and 2 near the Magdalen Islands (see Table 2). Post-disposal hydrographic surveys were conducted at these sites and compared to the results of previous surveys, providing a “before and after” survey of the sea floor.

The 6 sites in the Gaspé and Magdalen Islands regions were monitored with the objectives of verifying compliance with permit conditions, establishing the height of the material deposited (i.e. mounds) for navigation safety purposes and to verify the dispersion of sediments. Hydrographic surveys in recent years at the disposal sites in the Gaspé region have given some perplexing results, where not all of the material reported as deposited could be located at the site. The hydrographic surveys in 2021 also aimed to evaluate whether this situation was persisting or if compliance promotion efforts had led to improvements. Preliminary results indicate that only 1 site, Saint-Godefroi, remains problematic, although results were inconclusive at L’Anse à Brillant due to the low volume of material disposed. A full analysis of the results (Saint-Godefroi site) and consideration of next steps (both sites) is underway.

Arctic region

ECCC, in partnership with the Canadian Hydrographic Service, monitored the Frobisher Bay disposal site in the Arctic region for the first time, in the eastern Arctic in Nunavut (see Table 3). The objectives of this hydrographic survey was to verify compliance with permit conditions, establish the height of the material deposited, i.e. mound, for navigation safety purposes and to verify the dispersion of sediments.

Atlantic region

In 2021-2022, 3 sites were monitored in the Atlantic region. Hydrographic monitoring surveys were conducted at the Black Point and Shippagan Gully disposal sites off the coast of New Brunswick and an optical monitoring survey was conducted at the Charlottetown, Labrador fish waste disposal site.

The Black Point disposal site was initially believed to be dispersive; however, repetitive hydrographic surveys have shown significant sediment build-up. Subsequent studies have determined an average net retention rate of disposed material of 29.1%. Given this accumulation, ECCC is now assessing the elevation of the accumulated material annually as per the site management plan to determine whether it is less than 7 m above the 1959 baseline elevation. The 7 m threshold was selected as a conservative navigational criterion.

In 2020, ECCC observed that disposed material accumulation was nearing or exceeding 7 m in height throughout most of the seabed under the 2017-2020 release zone. Based on these observations, ECCC decided to move disposal activities to a new release zone commencing in January 2021. In order to better assess possible changes to the disposed material footprint, the area surveyed in 2021 was increased beyond that of the 2020 survey. ECCC compared the 2021 survey data to the 2020 survey and the historical survey data from 1959. Preliminary results indicate that the site is stable from 2020 to 2021 and a full analysis of the data is underway.

Monitoring at the Shippagan Gully disposal site is driven by the need to monitor the fate of disposed materials following disposal activities and to contribute to the verification of the rate of dispersion predicted by the model. Three bathymetric surveys were run in 2021 (spring, summer and fall) following the completion of disposal activities. These surveys will be compared to each other and to the 2020 baseline survey. The results of the hydrographic surveys will also be shared with Saint Mary’s University, to be used in their proposed research program on the beneficial re-use of the dredged material and effectiveness of mitigation measures related to the Piping Plover Recovery Strategy. Analysis of these results is underway.

The Charlottetown disposal site on the southeast coast of Labrador receives waste from shrimp processing facilities. An optical monitoring program was completed in 2021 for the first time at this site to ensure all regulations and permit conditions have been followed, as well as to verify the scientific assumptions made during the permit review and site selection process. The optical monitoring survey was completed using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in May 2021. Based on a preliminary analysis, there were no visual signs of fish waste build-up or environmental impacts resulting from disposal activities. A strong tidal flow was observed on the ROV during the physical survey and given that there were no signs of fish waste accumulating on the seafloor, it is assumed that the site has a natural ability to disperse material. Full analysis of the data is still underway.

2.4 Water quality monitoring

Freshwater quality monitoring has been a core ECCC program since the Department’s inception in the early 1970s. The Department’s monitoring and surveillance activities are critical for assessing and reporting on water quality status and trends in addition to fulfilling federal domestic and international commitments and legislative obligations. Much of the Program’s monitoring is carried out through federal-provincial/territorial agreements, ensuring cost-effective and non-duplicative program delivery.

ECCC’s Freshwater Quality Monitoring program continues to implement a risk-based adaptive management framework in conjunction with statistical analyses to better target monitoring activities to the risks of contaminants and human activities in Canadian watersheds. The approach has been used to optimize monitoring locations and adjust monitoring frequencies relative to the environmental risks and to report on changes in environmental condition. The program continues to monitor chemicals of concern in water, sediments and aquatic biota at national sites across Canada in support of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP).

In 2021-2022, ECCC’s Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Surveillance (FWQMS) program completed an analysis of arsenic concentrations and trends in sediments, water, and fish. This analysis supports performance measurement and reporting for the CMP across Canada. Also in 2021-2022, ECCC’s FWQMS program published an analysis of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian surface waters, which identified reductions in environmental concentrations of some compounds and concurrent increases in others.

Please see the Canada Water Act annual reports for updates on freshwater quality monitoring in Canada.

2.5 Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program reports on key environmental sustainability issues including climate change, air quality, water quality and availability, wildlife, biodiversity, habitat, pollution, waste and toxic substances. It is designed to convey the state of Canada’s environment, including historical trends, in a straightforward and transparent manner. CESI is used to provide citizens, Parliamentarians, policy makers and researchers with comprehensive, unbiased and authoritative environmental information. The CESI program responds to ECCC's commitments under CEPA and the Department of the Environment Act to report to Canadians on the state of the environment and is the prime instrument to measure progress on the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

The indicators published on the CESI website show national and regional results along with the methodology explaining each indicator and links to related socio-economic issues and information. CESI also has an interactive map that enables the user to quickly explore Canada's local and regional environmental indicators. The indicators and their corresponding datasets are also published in the Government of Canada Open Data Portal (see Table 5 for CESI updates and new releases in 2021-2022).