Established limits of quantitation for heavy metals in technical grade active ingredients

In Health Canada’s Guidance for developing datasets for conventional pest control product applications (updated February 2021), registrants and applicants are informed of the need to minimize the presence of impurities of toxicological concern (IOCs) in the manufacture of pest control products (DACO 2.13.4) in order to protect the health of Canadians and the environment.

To provide clarity to registrants/applicants on the data requirements, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has established limits of quantitation (LOQs) for those heavy metals that are considered to be of concern in technical grade active ingredient (TGAI) products. This means that, when a heavy metal is expected to be present in a TGAI, it will need to be analyzed using a method that can reliably quantify the metal at the value specified. It does not mean that the concentration must be below this value; the acceptability of heavy metal levels in each product will be assessed by the Agency. Note that, in certain cases, more sensitive analyses may be required at the discretion of the Agency.