Canada Lowers Lead Limit in Surface Coatings to Align with U.S.
On November 10, 2010, the Canadian Minister of Health published an order that reduces Canada's allowable limit on lead in surface coating, effective October 21, 2010.
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Lead Limit Lowered from 600 to 90 mg/kg
With this order, the total lead limit under subsections 4(1) and 5(1) and section 8 of Canada’s Surface Coatings Materials Regulations is amended from 600 mg/kg to 90 mg/kg of total lead.
(Note that one mg/kg is equal to one part per million (ppm), which is how the U.S. expresses its lead in paint/surface coatings limit. This means that Canada’s 90 mg/kg limit is equivalent to the U.S.’ 90 ppm limit.)
Affects Surface Coatings, Painted Children’s Furniture/Toys/Products, Painted Pencils, Etc.
Canada’s lead in surface coatings limit affects paints and surface coatings as such. It also affects the following products with surface coatings: (i) furniture and other articles for children; (ii) toys, equipment and other products for use by a child in learning or play; and (iii) pencils and artists’ brushes.
Canada Uses Dried Sample Paint Testing
The concentration of total lead present in a surface coating material must not be more than 90 mg/kg when a dried sample of it is tested in accordance with a method that conforms to good laboratory practices.
Needed to Protect Children and Align Canada’s Regs with U.S.
According to the regulatory impact analysis statement, this regulation is intended to protect the health and safety of Canadian children while at the same time aligning Canada with the U.S. with respect to total lead levels in surface coating materials and certain products that contain surface coating materials. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 01/06/09 news, 09010610, for BP summary of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission final rule which set the U.S. limit on lead in paint and surface coatings at 90 ppm, effective August 14, 2009.)