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Risk Assessment

For most of the chemical substances that have met the categorization criteria for further attention under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), the next step will be a scientific assessment to determine if there is a risk to human health and/or the environment.

On this page, you will find links to information on Canada's assessment of chemical substances under CEPA 1999:

• Fact Sheets
• Program Web Sites and Publications
• Chemical Substance Assessments
• Guidance Documents
• Screening Assessment Pilot Project
• Completed Assessments of Existing Substances

Fact Sheets

These fact sheets provide general information on various aspects of risk assessment under CEPA 1999.

• Assessing Chemicals in Canada for Risk: Protecting the Health of Canadians and their Environment
  A brochure providing background on the Government of Canada's approach for categorizing, assessing and managing the risks to human health and the environment from existing substances in Canada (source: Health Canada).
• The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Assessment of Existing Substances
  An explanation of many of the terms and concepts used when discussing the assessment of existing substances (source: Environment Canada).
• Assessing and Managing the Health Risks of New Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  A fact sheet from the It's Your Health series providing information on the screening of new substances in Canada (source: Health Canada).
• Assessing and Managing the Health Risks of Living Biotechnology Products under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  A fact sheet from the It's Your Health series providing information on how CEPA 1999 protects against any potential dangers in products of biotechnology (source: Health Canada).

Program Web Sites and Publications

The following links go to information published by key groups involved risk assessment under CEPA 1999.

• Human Health Risk Assessments for Existing Substances Program
  The program responsible for categorization, screening assessments and priority substances assessments for human health under CEPA 1999 (source: Health Canada).
• Environmental Risk Assessments for Existing Substances Program
  The program responsible for categorization and assessing environmental risks under CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).
• Health New Substances Program
  The program responsible for assessing the potential human health risks to the general population associated with new chemical substances. This work is done in conjunction with Environment Canada (source: Health Canada).
• Environment New Substances Program
  A collection of general information on the New Substances Program to aid those individuals or companies required to notify the Government of Canada when they want to introduce a new chemical substance (source: Environment Canada).

Chemical Substance Assessments

The following links go to technical information on risk assessment under CEPA 1999.

• Environmental Screening Assessments
  An information source on the nature of environmental screening assessments and their role in the management of existing substances in Canada. Specific screening assessments of some chemical substances are also available (source: Environment Canada).
• Human Health Screening Assessments and State of the Science Reports
  An information source on health screening assessments of chemical substances meeting the categorization and other criteria for human health (source: Health Canada).
• Screening Health Assessment of Existing Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
  This document provides technical information on the various types of health assessments conducted on existing substances under CEPA 1999 (Source: Health Canada).
• Priority Substances Assessment Program
  An information source on priority substances - those requiring in-depth scientific analysis. This site also contains links to a number of priority chemical substance assessments (source: Environment Canada).
• CEPA Environmental Registry
  A comprehensive collection of information relating to activities under CEPA 1999 (source: Environment Canada).
• Canada Gazette
  An official publication of the Government of Canada, the Canada Gazette is one place where the government publishes its completed risk assessments (combined environmental and human health risk) (source: Government of Canada).

Guidance Documents

Existing Substances Program Guidance Documents

• Overview of the Existing Substances Program

Ecological Assessment Guidance Documents

• Overview of the Ecological Assessment of Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999