Health-based air quality objectives (HBAQOs)

On this page

• Overview
• Process to prioritize outdoor air pollutants for HBAQOs
• Contact us

Overview

Health Canada is developing health-based air quality objectives (HBAQOs). These objectives describe health risks from outdoor air pollutants not covered by the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS).

HBAQOs:

• consider health risks only
• are for short-term and long-term exposures to outdoor air pollutants
• identify concentrations of pollutants in air below which health risks are expected to be minimal
• are voluntary for stakeholders, including provinces and territories
• will support all levels of governments and other partners in managing air quality
• can be implemented based on context and need

We conduct public consultations on the HBAQOs before we finalize and publish them.

Process to prioritize outdoor air pollutants for HBAQOs

Health Canada consulted federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and other air partners to identify priority pollutants for the development of HBAQOs. This process had 3 steps:

1. Developing the inventory of pollutants considered to be candidates for HBAQO development

   Health Canada created a list of candidate air pollutants by compiling:

   • air pollutants identified internationally as potential priorities
   • pollutants commonly released to or measured in outdoor air in Canada

2. Prioritizing based on health risk

   Health Canada scored and ranked candidate air pollutants according to:

   • concerns for human health
   • the potential for exposure in outdoor air in Canada

3. Selecting final candidates

   Following consultation with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and other air partners, Health Canada selected a group of priority candidate pollutants for HBAQO development. These air pollutants are:

   • arsenic
   • benzene
   • formaldehyde
   • hydrogen sulfide
   • carbon monoxide

Contact us

If you would like more information about the HBAQOs or on Health Canada's process to prioritize outdoor air pollutants for HBAQO development, please contact the Air Quality Program.

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