Canada — CFIA (Fertilizers Act & Regulations)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requires heavy-metal data for fertilizers and supplements to demonstrate compliance with national contaminant limits.
Metals that must be submitted (11-metal suite):
Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Molybdenum (Mo), Selenium (Se)
Guideline applied:
Maximum cumulative metal additions to soil, based on application rate and long-term land application thresholds.
| Metal | Maximum acceptable cumulative metal addition to soil over 45 years (kg metal/ha) |
Examples of maximum acceptable concentration of a metal based on annual application rate (mg metal/kg product) 4400 kg/ha - yr |
Examples of maximum acceptable concentration of a metal based on annual application rate (mg metal/kg product) 2000 kg/ha - yr |
Examples of maximum acceptable concentration of a metal based on annual application rate (mg metal/kg product) 500 kg/ha - yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic (As) | 15 | 75 | 166 | 666 |
| Cadmium (Cd) | 4 | 20 | 44 | 177 |
| Chromium (Cr) | 210 | 1060 | 2333 | 9333 |
| Cobalt (Co) | 30 | 151 | 333 | 1333 |
| Copper (Cu) | 150 | 757 | 1666 | 6666 |
| Mercury (Hg) | 1 | 5 | 11 | 44 |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 4 | 20 | 44 | 177 |
| Nickel (Ni) | 36 | 181 | 400 | 1600 |
| Lead (Pb) | 100 | 505 | 1111 | 4444 |
| Selenium (Se) | 2.8 | 14 | 31 | 124 |
| Thallium (Tl) Table Note d | 1 | 5 | 11 | 44 |
| Vanadium (V) Table Note d | 130 | 656 | 1444 | 5777 |
| Zinc (Zn) | 370 | 1868 | 4111 | 16444 |
| Number of batches/Lots produced within the 5 years preceding the application | Number of sample analyses required |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 to 4 | 2 |
| 5 to 9 | 3 |
| 10 to 16 | 4 |
| 17 to 25 | 5 |
| 26+ Schedule to be provided by stakeholder and approved by the CFIA | To be determined |
Reference:
Guide to submitting applications for registration under the Fertilizers Act - inspection.canada.ca
