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Document ID ca-gcdwqgtd-2008-01-07-12 Title Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document – Arsenic URL https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-arsenic/page-12-guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-arsenic.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) Drinking water, Treatment process Language en Status completed Analyzed at 2026-03-17 15:51:05.260433+00:00 Relevance Establishes the MAC for arsenic and discusses treatment technologies.
3 Qualitative 10 Quantitative 6 Definitions

Q Qualitative Requirements (3)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Context Conditions Confidence
#Q001operationalhealthrecommendedArsenic ALARA Principledrinking waterGiven the current uncertainties, the carcinogenic potential of arsenic, and the different practical difficulties associated with removing arsenic from drinking water at the small municipal and residential levels, every effort should be made to reduce arsenic levels in drinking water to as low as reasonably achievable.Applied given current uncertainties, carcinogenic potential, and practical difficulties associated with removal at small municipal and residential levels.high
#Q002administrativeunknownmandatoryHealth Canada Ongoing Guideline Reviewdrinking waterAs part of its ongoing guideline review process, Health Canada will continue to monitor new research in this area and recommend any change(s) to the guideline that it deems necessary.As part of its ongoing guideline review processhigh
#Q003operationalhealthrecommendedArsenic Concentration Objectivedrinking waterThe concentration of arsenic in drinking water representing an "essentially negligible" risk is 0.3 µg/L. Levels of arsenic in drinking water should be as close as possible to this level.high

P Quantitative Requirements (10)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Limit Type Limit Value Context Conditions Confidence
#P001chemicalhealthguidelineArsenicdrinking waterMAC0.01 mg/LEquivalent to 10 µg/L. This value is the result of a risk management decision, since it exceeds the health-based guideline value.high
#P002chemicalhealthrecommendedArsenicdrinking watertreatment_goal0.3 µg/LThe concentration of arsenic in drinking water representing an essentially negligible risk. Levels of arsenic in drinking water should be as close as possible to this level.medium
#P003unknownoperationalguidanceArsenic Practical Quantitation Level (PQL)drinking waterrequirement0.003 mg/LBased on the ability of laboratories to measure arsenic within reasonable limits of precision and accuracy.high
#P004designtreatmentmandatoryResidential Arsenic Treatment Device Certificationdrinking waterrequirement0.01 mg/LPerformance standard for residential scale treatment devices.Certification criteria for residential devices available to datehigh
#P005operationaltreatmentguidanceMunicipal-scale treatment arsenic removal capabilitydrinking watertreatment_goal0.001-0.005 mg/LRemoval level achievable by several advanced municipal-scale treatment processes.Municipal-scale applicationhigh
#P006operationaltreatmentguidanceSmall to mid-sized community treatment arsenic reductiondrinking watertreatment_goal< 0.003 mg/LConcentrations achievable using alternative processes such as adsorption and membrane systems.Small to mid-sized communitieshigh
#P007chemicalhealthguidanceEssentially negligible lifetime cancer risk rangedrinking waterrequirement10-5 to 10-6 dimensionlessThe range defined as 'essentially negligible' for estimated lifetime cancer risk associated with arsenic ingestion.high
#P008chemicalunknownguidanceArsenic naturally found in watersdrinking waterunknown0.001 - 0.002 mg/LBackground levels naturally found in waters, though it may occur in much higher concentrations.high
#P009chemicalunknownguidanceArsenic levels in Canadian drinking waterdrinking waterunknown< 0.005 mg/LData collected indicate that levels in Canadian drinking water are generally below this threshold.high
#P010chemicalhealthguidanceEstimated lifetime risk for arsenic at 0.01 mg/Ldrinking waterrequirement3.0 x 10-5 to 3.9 x 10-4 dimensionlessBased on the incidence of internal (lung, bladder, liver) cancers in individuals in southwestern Taiwan.Derived by multiplying the unit risk by the MAChigh

D Definitions (6)

Req ID Category Name Context Confidence
#D001Metallic arsenic0 valencehigh
#D002As(III)inorganic arsenitehigh
#D003methylation pathwaydetoxification processmedium
#D004Group 1carcinogenic to humanshigh
#D005PQLbased on the ability of laboratories to measure arsenic within reasonable limits of precision and accuracyhigh
#D006essentially negligiblebetween 10-5 and 10-6high