Guidance Documents

Our guidance reviews help environmental health professionals to contextualize evidence and identify relevant best practice recommendations, guidance, and tools in emerging subject areas. These documents summarize existing recommendations and guidelines from across multiple agencies and are produced via rapid reviews of academic and grey literature, expert consultation, and cooperation with external partners. These documents do not supersede provincial or federal guidance or regulations.
Giant hogweed is an invasive alien plant that can severely burn the skin. The plant is not yet very prevalent in Bas-SaintLaurent, and intervention in the region to date has focused on eradicating it…
What are cyanobacteria? Cyanobacteria, or ‘blue-green algae,’ are naturally occurring microscopic organisms found in fresh, brackish, or marine water. Under conditions such as warmer water…
Recent news on Canadian fatalities linked to the inappropriate use of phosphine for bed bug control underlines the need for public health practitioners to be aware of the issue.
Phosphine_Poisoning_Bed_Bug_Treatment_March_2015.pdf297.06 KB
Boil water advisories are issued when water testing detects higher than accepted amounts of microbial indicators or when there are deficiencies with water treatment. The fear of not issuing a boil…
Microbial_Indicators_Jan_2013.pdf253.27 KB
In the past decade, bed bug infestations have been increasing worldwide. Historically, studies have failed to provide evidence for the transmission of human diseases through bed bugs, but recent…
The scientific literature indicates that avoidance of pesticide use and alternative practices, such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), may be effective methods for reducing indoor residential…