Toxic substances list: PAHs

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are emitted into the Canadian environment from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Forest fires are the single most important natural source of PAHs in Canada. However, since releases from that source are generally widely separated in time and space across the country, they do not result in continuous exposure in any specific area. Anthropogenic sources are numerous and result in emissions of PAHs into all environmental compartments. The greatest anthropogenic sources of PAHs released to the atmosphere are residential wood heating and aluminum smelters. Major sources of PAHs to the aquatic and soil environments include creosote-treated products, spills of petroleum products, metallurgical and coking plants and deposition of atmospheric PAHs.

There is more than one CAS number that applies to this group of substances.

Risk Assessment

• Priority Substances List Assessment Report
• Order Adding Toxic Substances to Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
• CEPA 1999 Schedule 1 - List of Toxic Substances - This substance has been added to the List of Toxic Substances. It is entering or may enter the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that:
  a) have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity.
  c) constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health.
• Full life cycle management of the substance (Track 2) under the Toxic Substances Management Policy

Source(s)

This substance is entering the environment from the following source(s):

• Steel Manufacturing Sector
• Wood Preservation Sector
• Residential Wood Heating

Risk Management Tool(s)

Tool(s) developed to manage risks associated with the substance:

• Environmental performance agreements with the aluminum producers to limit PAHs emissions
• Environmental performance agreement between Environment Canada and Alcoa
• Environmental performance agreement between Environment Canada and Rio Tinto Alcan
• Environmental Code of Practice for Integrated Steel Mills
• Environmental Code of Practice for Non-Integrated Steel Mills
• Recommendations for the Design and Operation of Wood Preservation Facilities

Consultation

Consultation (past and present) on the substance:

• Proposed notice requiring the preparation and implementation of pollution prevention plans in respect of inorganic arsenic compounds, hexavalent chromium compounds, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and/or hexachlorobenzene used by wood preservation facilities (Active Consultation Document until 2005-07-14)
• Notice (DRAFT) requiring the preparation and implementation of pollution prevention plans in respect of inorganic arsenic compounds, hexavalent chromium compounds, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and/or hexachlorobenzene used by wood preservation facilities
• Response to Comments on the Proposed Notice Requiring the Preparation and Implementation of Pollution Prevention Plans in Respect of Inorganic Arsenic Compounds, Hexavalent Chromium Compounds, Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans and/or Hexachlorobenzene used by Wood Preservation Facilities

Other Information

• Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy
• Wood Preservation - Information Centre
• National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) - Information Centre

Contact

Email address: GR-RM@ec.gc.ca
Fax number: (819) 994-0007

Chemicals Management Division
Environment Canada
Fontaine Building
200 Sacré Coeur Blvd.
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3

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