All about pesticides

Pesticides are designed to destroy and control organisms that are considered undesirable or harmful. Their use comes with risks to your health and the environment. These products can contaminate water and soil and have harmful effects on other life forms. Pesticides should be used as a last resort.

A pesticide consists of one or more active ingredients. The active ingredient is the component to which the desired effects of the pesticide are attributed.

Most pesticides can be grouped according to their target:

• Acaricides target mites;
• Avicides target birds;
• Fungicides target fungi that cause plant diseases;
• Herbicides target weeds;
• Insecticides target insects;
• Molluscicides target land mollusks;
• Nematicides target nematodes that cause plant diseases;
• Phytocides target herbaceous and woody plant species;
• Piscicides target fish;
• Rodenticides target rodents.

Pesticides are classified according to their use (e.g., commercial or domestic), based on the risk they pose to health and the environment.

Domestic pesticides are mainly used in agriculture, essentially for crop protection.

They can also be used for the following:

• maintenance of green spaces or golf courses;
• pest management;
• forestry;
• some industrial processes;
• maintenance of road, railway or power corridors;
• controlling stinging insects.

Domestic pesticides are less harmful than commercial pesticides and can be used for personal purposes.

In Canada, pesticide jurisdiction is shared between the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) controls the registration, marketing and labelling of pesticides.

In Quebec, pesticides are regulated by the Pesticides Act and its two implementing regulations.

Some of the regulatory requirements of the Regulation respecting permits and certificates for the sale and use of pesticides:

• Permits or certificates are required for sale and use pesticides.
• Sales, purchases or application of pesticides registers must be kept.
• Sales must be reported annually. This makes it possible to maintain a record of all pesticide sales in Quebec.

Some of the regulatory requirements of the Pesticides Management Code:

• Distances from lakes, watercourses, wetlands and water withdrawal sites must be respected when storing, mixing or applying pesticides.
• The application of certain high-risk pesticides is prohibited in urban and agricultural areas, unless the farmer obtains agronomic prescription.

In addition, the Environment Quality Act and certain of its regulations govern the use of pesticides. For example, some projects that require the use of pesticides, for example the control of stinging insects, require environmental authorization.

Municipalities have the authority to further regulate, taking into account their local circumstances.

Initiatives that focus on information, education and alternatives to pesticide use complement the regulations.

Responsible pesticide management aims at reducing the use of these products and their environmental and health impact.

The modernization of the Pesticides Act, carried out in 2022, grants the Gouvernement du Québec several new powers, such as:

• the potential use of economic instruments;
• the possibility of requiring training as a condition for pesticide seller and use certification;
• the possibility of periodically assessing the active ingredients listed in the regulations to take into account advances in relevant scientific and technical knowledge.

The Sustainable Agriculture Plan also materializes the government’s intent to reduce pesticides in Québec.

Initiatives that are primarily focused on information, raising awareness and finding alternative solutions to pesticide use complement the regulations.

Pesticide reports 

The Bilan des ventes de pesticides au Québec enables readers to monitor the evolution of annual sales of these products across all utilization sectors.

The Bilan des plans de réduction des pesticides sur les terrains de golf (PDF 2.65 Mb) provides a profile of the pesticides applied in this sector, based on the reduction plans submitted to the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs every three years. 

Assessment of pesticide risks to health and the environment

L’indicateur de risque des pesticides du Québec (IRPeQ) enables the assessment ofthe risk related to the use of pesticides. At company level, IRPeQ enables pesticide use risk monitoring. 

For more details, consult this IRPeQ presentation tool .

Monitoring pesticides in the environment 

Annual monitoring of groundwater and subsurface water in Québec farmlands checks pesticide values. The reports showing the impact of pesticides on the environment allow readers to deepen their understanding of the subject.