25 Priority Pollutants & Thresholds
The priority substances indicated in the Environmental Reporting and Disclosure Bylaw, are divided into three groups, A, B and C. The reporting thresholds for each of these groups are different and are listed below.
Toronto Public Health maintains a list of specific health effects for the various chemicals.
| Chemical | Mass reporting threshold (kg/yr) | Concentration Threshold (%w/w) |
|---|---|---|
| GROUP A: You meet or exceed the reporting threshold of Group A based on the total amount of priority substance released, manufactured, processed or otherwise used in a year. | ||
| Acetaldehyde | 100 | 1.0 |
| Acrolein | 100 | 1.0 |
| Benzene | 100 | 1.0 |
| 1,3-Butadiene | 100 | 1.0 |
| Cadmium a | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 100 | 1.0 |
| Chloroform (Trichloromethane) | 100 | 1.0 |
| Chromium, Hexavalent a | 10 | 0.1 |
| Chromium, Non-hexavalent a | 100 | 1.0 |
| 1,2-Dibromoethane (Ethylene dibromide) | 100 | 1.0 |
| 1,4-Dichlorobenzene | 100 | 1.0 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane (Ethylene dichloride) | 100 | 1.0 |
| Dichloromethane (Methylene chloride) | 100 | 1.0 |
| Formaldehyde | 100 | 1.0 |
| Lead a | 10 | 0.1 |
| Manganese a | 10 | 1.0 |
| Mercury a | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Nickel a | 100 | 1.0 |
| Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene) | 100 | 1.0 |
| Trichloroethylene | 100 | 1.0 |
| Vinyl chloride | 100 | 1.0 |
| GROUP B: You meet or exceed the reporting threshold of Group B based on the total amount released, disposed and/or transferred in a year. | ||
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) | 10d | n/ae |
| GROUP C: You meet or exceed the reporting threshold of Group C based on the amount that is released. Please note that some Group A substances are VOCs. When you estimate and report your VOCs, be sure to add the amounts of VOCs included in Group A to calculate for Total VOCs. Also, report VOCs in Group A separately, if they meet the threshold. | ||
| Nitrogen oxidesc (NOx) | 200 | n/a |
| Particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter (PM2.5) | 30 | n/a |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total | 100 | n/a |
a. and its compounds, expressed as the metal
c. NO+NO2, expressed as NOx
d. PAHs release as a result of wood preservation using creosote must be reported even if below the mass reporting threshold
e. n/a = not applicable
