Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/customer/www/write2know.ca/public_html/wp-content/plugins/speakup-email-petitions/includes/class.petition.php on line 307
The Question
Why does Health Canada continue to maintain its blood lead intervention level of 10 μg/dL when the ministry has financed recent studies and reports that show there is no safe level of lead exposure?
The Background
Exposure to lead, at both high and low levels, is linked to multiple illnesses. Researchers have found that “at extremely elevated levels, lead can lead to seizures and ultimately death. At low levels of lead exposure, there is a large body of evidence to demonstrate that lead is associated with a number of different neurological and developmental outcomes” (Archbold and Bassil, 2014: 3). Small children are the most vulnerable, as lead can interfere with the production of blood cells and the development of the heart, brain, and nervous system, which in turn can cause permanent learning and behaviour disorders.
A 2013 report issued by Health Canada acknowledges that there is a clear gap between Canada’s current threshold for taking action in individuals exposed to lead, and the latest scientific evidence of lead’s toxicity. The current blood intervention level in Canada is set at 10 micrograms per decilitre, however, Health Canada states that “There is sufficient evidence that blood lead levels below 5 μg/dL are associated with adverse health effects” (Health Canada, 2013a: 59). Health practitioners are currently working without clear guidelines that reflect this new evidence. Will Health Canada clarify its position to ensure the health and safety of Canadians?
Your Letter:
Dear Dr. Rasmussen, Dr. Jiping Zhu, and Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin,
Thank you for your research as scientists with Health Canada. We are especially interested in your studies investigating lead, mercury, and cadmium contamination in household dust in Canadian homes, which found “significantly higher concentrations” inside homes than in the soil outdoors. While Canadians can be reassured that blood lead levels have declined significantly from the 1980s with the phasing out of leaded gas, there is still a great deal of ambiguity in regards to what is considered a safe level of lead exposure.
We are particularly interested in how your research engages with the World Health Organization’s conclusion that there are no safe levels of lead (WHO 2010: 11-12). A 2013 report issued by Health Canada confirmed that a series of studies “clearly document adverse health effects – including neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, renal and reproductive effects – at blood lead levels below 10 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL), the current Canadian blood intervention level” (Health Canada, 2013b: 4). The report goes on to state that there “is sufficient evidence that blood lead levels below 5 µg/dL are associated with adverse health effects,” and that “adverse health effects have also been associated with blood lead levels as low as 1-2 µg/dL” (4). By funding and issuing this 2013 health report, Canada was poised to be the first country to recognize the full significance of this new evidence by formulating new standards, policies, and practices to further prevent children from being exposed to lead. Unfortunately, such efforts were stalled and now Health Canada is in this contradictory position of having an outdated policy that does not coincide with current scientific evidence or with the health policies of other countries.
Based on this new evidence, the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) in the United States cut their accepted blood lead level in half, moving from an intervention level of 10 µg/dL to 5 µg/dL (www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/). But Health Canada, despite this evidence and the actions on the part of other countries to lower their levels of acceptability, has failed to issue lower thresholds.
Based on your expertise, we would like to know:
- What does your research indicate about threshold doses at which lead becomes harmful to children?
- Does your research support a particular dose, or even the concept of acceptable doses?
- Are children at risk of harm if their blood lead level is below the current intervention level of 10 μg/dL?
- In your opinion, does Health Canada’s current policy put Canadians at risk?
I am writing this email as part of Write2Know (https://write2know.ca), a letter-writing campaign that aims to mobilize public awareness and inquiry into federal research programs. We want to let you know that we value federal science and scientists, and that our questions arise out of genuine concerns about the health and well-being of Canadians.
We remain concerned about the legacy of constraints on access to federal scientists and the results of their research, the elimination of essential research programs, and the closure of libraries and archives. These constraints and closures have impacted what Canadians can and cannot know about the health of their bodies, communities, and environments. We are hopeful that a new government will address our concerns.
We are posing questions to federal scientists about their research and findings, and forwarding our letters to federal Ministers and Members of Parliament to call attention to serious gaps between scientific evidence and government policy.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
[Your name]cc
Dr Pat Rasmussen, Research Scientist, Environmental & Occupational Toxicology Division, Health Canada
Dr. Jiping Zhu, Research Scientist, Health Canada
Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin, Research Scientist, Natural Resources Canada
Hon. Jane Philpott, Minister of Health
Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Hon. Kristy Duncan, Minister of Science
Hon. Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources
Disclaimer: Any emails you send to a government email address potentially remain on file. Any contact information you provide, including your name, email address, IP address, and geographic location may be kept and used by the government institution you contact.
Please enter your information in the fields below to send your letter. Click on “Read the Petition” if you would like to edit the letter before you send it.
Sign Another Letter
| 176 | Sydney Fuller | Yarmouth, NS | Jan 28, 2017 |
| 175 | ADALISS RODRIGUEZ | VERNON, Connecticut | Dec 01, 2016 |
| 174 | Erella Ganon | Toronto, ON | Dec 08, 2015 |
| 173 | Kevin Vaughn | Markham, ON | Nov 30, 2015 |
| 172 | Alessandro Delfanti | Toronto, Ontario | Nov 12, 2015 |
| 171 | Sarah Lightbody | Kitchener, Ontario | Nov 03, 2015 |
| 170 | Aaron Mayor | Brampton, Ontario | Oct 25, 2015 |
| 169 | Kimberley Hedger | Newmarket, Ontario | Oct 22, 2015 |
| 168 | Michelle Khelawan | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 19, 2015 |
| 167 | Sarah Phul | Brampton, Ontario | Oct 19, 2015 |
| 166 | Branson Chow | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 18, 2015 |
| 165 | Andre Williams | Brampton, Ontario | Oct 18, 2015 |
| 164 | Raven Fu | NORTH YORK, Ontario | Oct 14, 2015 |
| 163 | Reham Mirza | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 11, 2015 |
| 162 | Marilyn McKim | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 09, 2015 |
| 161 | Nerea Calvillo | London, UK | Oct 09, 2015 |
| 160 | Kathleen Dizon | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 08, 2015 |
| 159 | Anne Passera | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 08, 2015 |
| 158 | Julia Murphy | toronto, Ontario | Oct 08, 2015 |
| 157 | Nicolas TUGUI | WINDSOR, Ontario | Oct 07, 2015 |
| 156 | Michael Nandwa | Brampton, Ontario | Oct 07, 2015 |
| 155 | Graysanne Bedell | TORONTO, ON | Oct 07, 2015 |
| 154 | Vanessa Pittari | Vaughan, Ontario | Oct 07, 2015 |
| 153 | Jason Bailey | Ottawa , ON | Oct 06, 2015 |
| 152 | Kevin Cham | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 06, 2015 |
| 151 | Alisha Hickey | Hamilton, Ontario | Oct 06, 2015 |
| 150 | Nicholas Distefano | Woodbridge, Ontario | Oct 06, 2015 |
| 149 | Camila Varela | Oct 06, 2015 | |
| 148 | Sarah Khawaja | Etobicoke, Ontario | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 147 | Melanie Zhang | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 146 | gale cabiles | aurora, Ontario | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 145 | Ovie Tobor | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 144 | Jason Luo | Markham, Ontario | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 143 | Andrew Hargobind | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 142 | Ethan Doney | St. John's, NL | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 141 | Piers Evans | St. John's, NL | Oct 05, 2015 |
| 140 | Susan Tarnow | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 139 | Jasraj Singh | Brampton, Ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 138 | Margo ebanks Wright | Brampton, ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 137 | Christian Iozzo | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 136 | Vivian Cheung | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 135 | Lara Tessaro | Toronto, ON | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 134 | Sheila Mudrick | Oct 04, 2015 | |
| 133 | Martin Klein | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 132 | Hande Dumanogullari | etobicoke, Ontario | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 131 | Mana Kiamari | Toronto, ON | Oct 04, 2015 |
| 130 | Leonard Lacson | Vaughan, Ontario | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 129 | Musthafa Raswoli | Markham, Ontario | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 128 | Ghazal Jarouj | North York, ON | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 127 | Phuc Pham | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 126 | Noa Gorelik | Vaughan, ON | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 125 | Michael Williams | Allston, MA | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 124 | Robyn Lee | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 123 | jake javanshir | toronto | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 122 | Claudette Murphy | Winnipeg, manitoba | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 121 | Chrishan Annestine | Stouffville, Ontario | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 120 | Lisa Cockburn | Toronto, ON | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 119 | Robert McBryde | Montreal, Quebec | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 118 | Tera Mallette | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 03, 2015 |
| 117 | Margaret Rao | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 116 | Thomas Ozden-Schilling | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 115 | Kareem Azees | Maple, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 114 | Anita Wong | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 113 | Sheana Parker | Knowlton, Quebec | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 112 | Barry Fleming | Port Moody, British Columbia | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 111 | Mariam Hassan | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 110 | Larysa Ricchio | Brampton, ON - Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 109 | Arlie Belliveau | Toronto, ON | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 108 | Ellie Louson | Toronto, ON | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 107 | David Dell'Angelo | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 106 | Justin Hsieh | TORONTO, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 105 | Jody Berland | Toronto, ON | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 104 | Amanda Di Serio | Woodbridge, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 103 | Greta Vaivadaite | Richmond Hill, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 102 | Thomas Sword | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 101 | Debra Ladd | St. Lambert, Quebec | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 100 | Aishwarya Sharma | Mississauga, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 99 | Phyllis Creighton | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 98 | Bev LeFrancois | Oakville, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 97 | Dayna Nadine Scott | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 96 | Anvi Raval | Brampton, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 95 | Nancy Thede | Oct 02, 2015 | |
| 94 | Prathepan Ramkumar | Scarborough, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 93 | Aryn Martin | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 92 | Christianne Stephens | Hamilton, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 91 | Mark Vardy | Kingston, ON | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 90 | Geoff Siskind | Toronto, ON - Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 89 | Joan Steigerwald | Oct 02, 2015 | |
| 88 | Suzanne Siskind | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 87 | Constance Simmonds | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 86 | Louise McDonald | Wolfville, NS | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 85 | Jim Hebert | Saturna, British Columbia | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 84 | Beatrice Shumey | Nelson, British Columbia | Oct 02, 2015 |
| 83 | Noémi Tousignant | Montreal, Québec | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 82 | Brenda McGovern | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 81 | Andrew Schuldt | toronto, on | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 80 | Bonnie Shemie | montreal, quebec | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 79 | Mahira Mohtashami | Toronto, ON | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 78 | Dianne Varga | Kelowna, British Columbia | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 77 | Lynn Taylor | Victoria, BC | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 76 | Denis LeBlanc | Ottawa, Ontario | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 75 | Dr. Tanya Dahms | Regina, Saskatchewan | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 74 | Kelly Fritsch | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 73 | Michelle Murphy | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 72 | Laurel Doucette | St. John's, NL | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 71 | Nick Shapiro | Philadelphia, PA | Oct 01, 2015 |
| 70 | Benjamin Mitchell | Pickering, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 69 | Christine Brault | Montreal, Quebec | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 68 | Caitlynn Beckett | Regina, Saskatchewan | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 67 | Danielle Taylor | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 66 | Karolyne Newby | peterborough, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 65 | Cameron Murray | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 64 | Kelly Ladd | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 63 | Stephanie Posthumus | Montreal, Quebec | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 62 | Laura Jones Phillips | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 61 | Anna-Marie Melanson | Ottawa, Ontario | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 60 | Laura Fraser | Tofino, bc | Sep 30, 2015 |
| 59 | Navroz Dhillon | brampton, Ontario | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 58 | Darrel Melvin | Red Deer, Alberta | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 57 | Chelsie John | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 56 | Marco Marino | Sep 29, 2015 | |
| 55 | John Dupuis | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 54 | Sarah Gurney | Sep 29, 2015 | |
| 53 | Jessica Caporusso | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 52 | Devin Vernon | Sep 29, 2015 | |
| 51 | Emmanuelle Tremblay | Gatineau, Quebec | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 50 | Fabiana Li | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 49 | Monica Jankowski | toronto, Ontario | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 48 | Choyce Chappell | Montague, PE | Sep 29, 2015 |
| 47 | Karl Schmid | Torono, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 46 | Inge Tamm | Sep 28, 2015 | |
| 45 | keila marques | toronto, ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 44 | Kathe Gray | Guelph, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 43 | Carrie Mudrick Rubel | Toronto, Ont | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 42 | Katrina Findlay | Sep 28, 2015 | |
| 41 | Jessica Barbuto | Brooklin, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 40 | Shubhra Gururani | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 39 | Marc Schwartz | Sep 28, 2015 | |
| 38 | Emily Hoey | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 37 | NICOLE PITULA | TORONTO, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 36 | Tanvir Kaur | Markham, On | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 35 | Leigh Milne | Chester, NS | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 34 | Samantha Satya-Charan | Ajax, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 33 | Natalie Captain | Scarborough, Ontario | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 32 | Pardis Aliakbarkhani | Richmond Hill, ON | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 31 | Alessandra Cellucci | Toronto, ON | Sep 28, 2015 |
| 30 | Daniel Mudrick | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 29 | Michelle Giatti | vaughan, Ontario | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 28 | Bendip Singh | Brampton, Ontario | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 27 | Megan Stewart | St. John's, NL | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 26 | Catherine Duchastel | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 25 | Nicole DeCassan | Woodbridge, Ontario | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 24 | maggie lyons | Toronto, ON | Sep 27, 2015 |
| 23 | Kaylin Hauzar | Toronto, ON | Sep 26, 2015 |
| 22 | Emily Dyck | Toronto, On | Sep 26, 2015 |
| 21 | Deepti Parmar | Markham, Ontario | Sep 25, 2015 |
| 20 | nancy simpson | mississauga, ntario | Sep 25, 2015 |
| 19 | Anita James | Pincher Creek, Alberta | Sep 25, 2015 |
| 18 | Clara Czuppon | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 25, 2015 |
| 17 | Ariane Hanemaayer | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Sep 25, 2015 |
| 16 | Michael Laurentius | East York, Ontario | Sep 25, 2015 |
| 15 | alexandra cimino | toronto, on | Sep 24, 2015 |
| 14 | Alison Syme | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 24, 2015 |
| 13 | Lori Thompson | Winlaw, British Columbia | Sep 24, 2015 |
| 12 | Eva Seth | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 23, 2015 |
| 11 | Eva Graham | Ottawa, ON | Sep 23, 2015 |
| 10 | Arn Keeling | St. John's, NL | Sep 23, 2015 |
| 9 | Margaret MacDonald | Toronto, ON | Sep 23, 2015 |
| 8 | Emily simmonds | toronto, ontario | Sep 23, 2015 |
| 7 | duygu kasdogan | Sep 22, 2015 | |
| 6 | Rida Nadeem | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 22, 2015 |
| 5 | Natasha Myers | Sep 22, 2015 | |
| 4 | Peter Hobbs | Toronto, Ontario | Sep 22, 2015 |
| 3 | Max Liboiron | St. John's, NL | Sep 22, 2015 |
| 2 | Laura Graham | Sep 20, 2015 | |
| 1 | Sabrina Scott | Sep 09, 2015 |
More Information
Archbold and Bassil, 2014. Health Impacts of Lead in Drinking Water. Toronto Public Health.
Brown MJ and Margolis S. 2012. Lead in drinking water and human blood lead levels in the United States. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Supplement 61. August 10, 2012.
Bushnik T, Haines D, Levallois P, Levesque J, Van Oostdam J and Viau C. (2010) Lead and bisphenol A concentrations in the Canadian population. Statistics Canada.
Health Canada, 2013a. Final Human Health State of the Science Report on Lead.
Health Canada, 2013b. Risk Management Strategy for Lead. February 2013.
Carly Weeks, “House dust: toxic and on your table”, The Globe and mail, December 27, 2007.