Pesticides and health risks

Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin, for example, if a person handles products without protection or if they touch surfaces contaminated by pesticides.

In sufficient amounts, pesticides can cause health problems. They affect the skin and eyes in particular.

Some parts of the body absorb pesticides more easily, such as:

• The scalp
• The forehead
• The eyes
• Mucous membranes, such as in the mouth and nose

Pesticides applied as an aerosol or gas can easily enter the body through the respiratory system. This route of exposure to pesticides causes the most direct and most rapid poisoning.

Make sure that any areas you are treating with pesticides are well ventilated. If necessary, leave the area temporarily. Follow the directions on the product label.

Pesticides can be absorbed by mouth. This often happens when a person eats a food contaminated by pesticides or if they put their hands to their mouth after handling pesticides.

A number of common habits lead to this type of contact with pesticides, even accidentally. Therefore, you should avoid:

• Smoking, drinking or eating when you handle or use pesticides
• Storing pesticides in an inappropriate or incorrectly identified container, such as a fruit juice bottle
• Storing pesticides in a place that children can access easily, for example, under the kitchen sink

Food is often the main source of exposure to pesticides. In particular, fresh fruits and vegetables sometimes contain traces of pesticides. These amounts are, however, very low and are generally compliant with the standards established by Health Canada for acceptable concentrations of pesticides in food, called “maximum residue limits”.

According to the 2013-2014 Report of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency  (CFIA), foods of plant and animal origin were tested for pesticide residues; the compliance rate with maximum residue limits established by Health Canada was 98.27%.

Furthermore, the CFIA’s 2013-2014 Children’s Food Project , which included baby foods, showed that the compliance rate of these foods with maximum residue limits for all concentrations of pesticide residues was 100%.

Following the 2007-2011 monitoring program conducted by the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), similar conclusions were drawn regarding fresh fruits and vegetables in Québec. To find out more, consult the publication Résidus des pesticides dans les fruits et légumes frais vendus au Québec 2007-2011  (in French only).

Eating fruits and vegetables is essential to health. The benefits of these foods greatly outweigh the potential risks associated with the low amounts of pesticide residues they might contain. Concerns about pesticide use should not mean that you eat fewer fruits or vegetables.

You can, however, develop the habit of washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them to reduce the amount of pesticides that might be on the surface. Make sure that you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables too, since the amount of the different pesticides that may be in these foods varies widely. These simple precautions will reduce your exposure to some pesticides while increasing the variety of fruits and vegetables that you eat.

Drinking water may also be a potential source of exposure to pesticides. However, the water distributed by municipal systems usually complies with the pesticide standards in the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC)’s Regulation respecting the quality of drinking water . Furthermore, according to the Pesticides Management Code , pesticides must be applied a certain distance from bodies of water, watercourses and water intakes. This measure is crucial, especially in agriculture, for it helps protect surface wells, artesian wells and groundwater.

To find out more, go to the MELCC’s page La présence de pesticides dans l’eau en milieu agricole au Québec  (in French only).

The World Health Organization and an affiliate, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, have classified some pesticides as “probably” or “possibly” carcinogenic. Health Canada is therefore re-evaluating these pesticides to determine if their current conditions of use in Canada pose a threat. The results of this re-evaluation might lead to restrictions on the use of these pesticides or cause them to be taken off the market.

Studies are also being conducted on the potential long-term effects of the use of some pesticides. These risks are related to:

• Reproduction
• Fetal development, especially the nervous system
• Hormone balance
• Immune system

If the studies confirm these risks, Health Canada will also revise the registration  of the pesticides concerned.

The Plan d’agriculture durable 2020-2030 plans to accelerate, by 2030, the adoption of best agri-environmental practices. In particular, it aims to reduce the use of pesticides and the health and environmental risks associated with them. To find out more, see the Utilisation et gestion des pesticides  page (in French only).

The Government of Canada, the Government of Québec and some municipalities regulate pesticides.

To be imported, sold or used in Canada, a pesticide must first be registered, that is, approved in accordance with the Pest Control Products Act. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)administers this Act.

PMRA evaluates every pesticide to ensure compliance with the most stringent health, safety and environmental protection requirements. It must also ensure that:

• The pesticide is effective
• The pesticide label provides directions for safe use
• The pesticide residues that may be found on or in food products are not harmful to consumer health

The sale and use of pesticides are governed by laws and regulations that are intended to protect health and the environment. The application of these provisions ensures that:

• Only the least toxic and safest pesticides are readily available to the general public
• The most toxic pesticides are restricted to professional and specialized use

In Québec

In Québec, pesticide use is regulated by the MELCC pursuant to the Pesticides Act. The MELCC developed the Pesticides Management Code to regulate the sale and use of pesticides. The Code’s provisions are intended to better protect the environment and health, especially children’s health. To find out more, go to the Pesticides section.

Since the early ’90s, many municipalities in Québec have regulated pesticide use on their territory. These municipalities must ensure that their regulatory provisions comply with the MELCC’s Pesticides Management Code. Consult the liste des municipalités du Québec qui réglementent en matière de pesticides  (in French only).

• All about pesticides
  Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques
• Pesticides and food safety 
  Health Canada
• Résidus de pesticides dans les fruits et légumes frais vendus au Québec 2018-2019 
  Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (in French only)