December 27, 2023
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) opened a 60-day public consultation to seek comments on the proposed implementation of a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) standard for municipal biosolids imported or sold in Canada as commercial fertilizers.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of chemicals commonly used since the 1940s in industry and our households (in products such as food packaging, textiles, cosmetics and others).
They can be harmful to people, animals and may damage our soils long term because they don't degrade (forever chemicals).
To mitigate the risks of contamination, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is proposing to implement an interim standard for PFAS in domestic and imported biosolids (a by-product of waste water treatment).
The limit (less than 50 parts per billion of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, a type of PFAS)) will prohibit the importation and sale of biosolids with high PFAS content.
The consultation opened on December 22, 2023 and will close on February 20, 2024.