Water
Promoting health through safe drinking and recreational water, including small drinking water systems.
Topics:
Climate Change, Emergency Preparedness, Ticks, Water, Wildfire
Overview of the Climate Atlas of Canada
Climate determines almost everything about how we live. With our climate changing, many systems that we rely on (ecological, economic, social) will be…
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Topics:
Recreational Water, Water
Recreational water venues such as oceans, lakes, and rivers, attract large numbers of users. Usage is higher in the summer months, although recreational water activities such as swimming, water…
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Cooling Tower Registries and Building Water Management Plans: Strategies to combat Legionnaires’ Disease
Topics:
Contaminants and Hazards, Drinking Water, Indoor Air, Water, Legionella
There’s something in the aerosols
Devices that aerosolize water can increase the risk of exposure to Legionella bacteria through inhalation, leading to serious illness such as Legionnaires’ disease…
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Topics:
Cyanobacteria, Drinking Water, Recreational Water, Water
What do dog deaths in Fredericton, a State of Emergency in Salem, Oregon, and vacuuming lakes in Florida all have in common? All of these events over the past year have been triggered by microscopic…
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Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, are naturally occurring microscopic organisms found in fresh, brackish, or marine water that can release cyanotoxins into freshwater systems. These…
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The provision of safe drinking water across Canada is a responsibility shared across many agencies. At the federal level, Health Canada sets Drinking Water Guidelines for contaminants in drinking…
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Floatation or float tanks have resurged in popularity since their initial commercialization in the 1970s. These tanks, pods, or chambers are intended to help users achieve certain physical and mental…
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Guest Blog: Training and Support for Managing Drinking Water Systems in First Nations Communities in Ontario
As of September 2019, there were 56 long-term drinking water advisories (LTDWA) for public systems on First Nations reserves across Canada. These are either Boil Water advisories or Do Not Consume…
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Lead is a potent neurotoxin that is commonly present in our environment and can have serious, irreversible cognitive and behavioral impacts, particularly in children. Historically, most lead exposure…
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Legionella is an opportunistic premise plumbing pathogen (OPPP) that can cause illnesses including Pontiac fever and Legionnaires’ disease, a severe pneumonia named after an outbreak that resulted in…
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Topics:
Contaminants and Hazards, Infectious Diseases, Food, Water
Norovirus is a group of highly contagious viruses that cause short-term gastroenteritis symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and potentially chills and fever. Norovirus infection can occur…
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Topics:
Water
Palytoxin (PLTX) is a potent but poorly understood marine toxin that periodically attracts media attention when poisonings occur. Some recent incidents included:
In August 2019, a family of five…
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Topics:
Legionella, Recreational Water, Water
Public swimming pools, hot tubs, splash parks, wading pools, and other treated recreational water facilities are popular recreational water venues, which are regulated at the provincial or…
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Topics:
Contaminants and Hazards, Drinking Water, Water
Changes to Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines
Over the past year there have been nine new consultations and announcement of eleven new or updated Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Keeping up with…
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