Information for laboratories using certain toxic substances (version updated in 2021)

The Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 (the Regulations) prevent potential risks of harm to the Canadian environment and human health by prohibiting the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or import of the toxic substances listed below, and products containing them, with a limited number of exemptions.

The prohibition does not apply to toxic substances, or to any products containing them, that are to be used:

• in a laboratory for analysis
• in scientific research, or
• as a laboratory analytical standard

Annual reporting required

Users of the toxic substances for the above purposes are required to report certain information to the Minister as soon as feasible before the use of more than 10 g of any toxic substance in a calendar year. A separate report must be submitted for every calendar year for each toxic substance.

The report(s) must clearly provide the information listed below, including each proposed or actual use, the anticipated period of use, and the quantities to be used per calendar year (January 1st to December 31st).

A reporting form (PDF, 151Kb) is available online to facilitate reporting. You must submit the completed report(s) to interdiction-prohibition@ec.gc.ca or by mail to the address in Contact us.

The information that must be reported, as set out in Schedule 3 of the Regulations, includes:

• information respecting the laboratory and person authorized to act on behalf of the laboratory
• information respecting the toxic substance and, if applicable, the product in which it is used:
  • for each toxic substance:
    • the name of the toxic substance (as listed in the Regulations)
    • the anticipated period of its use per calendar year
    • the estimated quantity of the toxic substance to be used in each calendar year
    • the identification of each proposed or actual use
  • for each product containing a toxic substance:
    • the name of the product containing the toxic substance
    • the estimated quantity of the product to be used, and
    • the estimated concentration of the toxic substance in the product

Updates to the list of prohibited toxic substances

The Regulations may be amended from time to time to modify current requirements or to add new toxic substances.

In order to stay informed, please visit Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act registry. You may also contact us if you wish to be added to our distribution list or to receive the non-exhaustive list of CAS RNs of substances that are controlled by the Regulations.

List of substances subject to the Regulations

(as of the last regulatory amendments in December 2017)^{Footnote 1}

• 2-Methoxyethanol, which has the molecular formula C₃H₈O₂ (2-ME)
• Tributyltins, which contain the grouping (C₄H₉)₃Sn (TBTs)
• Chloromethyl methyl ether that has the molecular formula C₂H₅ClO (CMME)
• Perfluorooctanoic acid, which has the molecular formula C₇F₁₅CO₂H and its salts (PFOA)
• Compounds that consist of a perfluorinated alkyl group that has the molecular formula C_nF_2n+1 in which n = 7 or 8 and that is directly bonded to any chemical moiety other than a fluorine, chlorine or bromine atom (PFOA precursors)
• Perfluorocarboxylic acids that have the molecular formula C_nF_2n+1CO₂H in which 8 ≤ n ≤ 20 and their salts (long-chain PFCAs)
• Compounds that consist of a perfluorinated alkyl group that has the molecular formula C_nF_2n+1 in which 8 ≤ n ≤ 20 and that is directly bonded to any chemical moiety other than a fluorine, chlorine or bromine atom (long-chain PFCAs precursors), including:
  • Hexane, 1,6-diisocyanato-, homopolymer, reaction products with alpha-fluoro-omega-2-hydroxyethyl-poly(difluoromethylene), C16-20-branched alcohols and 1-octadecanol
  • 2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, hexadecyl ester, polymers with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, gamma-omega-perfluoro-C10-16-alkyl acrylate and stearyl methacrylate
  • 2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-methylpropyl ester, polymer with butyl 2-propenoate and 2,5 furandione, gamma-omega-perfluoro-C8-14-alkyl esters, tert-Bu benzenecarbo peroxoate-initiated
  • 2-Propen-1-ol, reaction products with pentafluoroiodoethane tetrafluoroethylene telomer, dehydroiodinated, reaction products with epichlorohydrin and triethylenetetramine

• Perfluorooctane sulfonate and its salts (PFOS)
• Compounds that contain one of the following groups: C₈F₁₇SO₂, C₈F₁₇SO₃ or C₈F₁₇SO₂N (PFOS precursors)
• Chlorinated alkanes that have the molecular formula C_nH_xCl_(2n+2-x) in which 10 ≤ n ≤ 13 (short-chain CAs)
• Tetrachlorobenzenes, which have the molecular formula C₆H₂Cl₄ (TeCB)
• Pentachlorobenzene, which has the molecular formula C₆HCl₅ (PeCB)
• Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, which has the molecular formula C₁₄H₉Cl₅ (DDT)
• Bis(Chloromethyl) ether that has the molecular formula C₂H₄Cl₂O (BCME)
• Hexachlorobutadiene, which has the molecular formula C₄Cl₆ (HCBD)
• Benzidine and benzidine dihydrochloride, which have the molecular formula C₁₂H₁₂N₂ and C₁₂H₁₂N₂.2HCl, respectively
• Polychlorinated naphthalenes, which have the molecular formula C₁₀H_8-nCl_n in which “n” is greater than 1 (PCNs)
• Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
• N-Nitrosodimethylamine, which has the molecular formula C₂H₆N₂O (NDMA)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers that have the molecular formula C₁₂H_(10-n)Br_nO in which 4 ≤ n ≤ 10 (PBDEs)
• Hexabromocyclododecane, which has the molecular formula C₁₂H₁₈Br₆ (HBCD)
• Dodecachloropentacyclo [5.3.0.0^2,6.0^3,9.0^4,8] decane (Mirex)
• Polybrominated biphenyls that have the molecular formula C₁₂H_(10-n)Br_n in which "n" is greater than 2 (PBB)
• Polychlorinated terphenyls that have a molecular formula C₁₈H_(14-n)Cl_n in which "n" is greater than 2 (PCT)
• (4-Chlorophenyl)cyclopropylmethanone, O-[(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]oxime that has the molecular formula C₁₇H₁₅ClN₂O₃ (NCC ether)

Contact us

Chemicals Management Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 Saint-Joseph Blvd 10th floor
Gatineau QC  K1A 0H3

Email: interdiction-prohibition@ec.gc.ca