The Canadian House Dust Study

Launched on January 30, 2007, the Canadian House Dust Study is a four-year, four-phased national study being conducted by Health Canada. The entire study aims to collect dust samples from approximately 1,000 randomly selected detached homes, spread across 13 cities in Canada.

The study's purpose is to measure background levels of chemicals in house dust in Canadian homes. Some studies have shown that levels of certain chemicals can be higher in house dust than in other environmental media such as soil, street dust and water. At the completion of the study, we will have a national estimate of background levels of certain chemicals in urban house dust across Canada.

A subcomponent of the study was to investigate the distribution of different types of bacteria in various locations within each home (in the Phase 1 cities only). The Public Health Agency of Canada participated in the study's first phase bacteria investigation. No further sampling for bacteria was considered for the subsequent Phases.

The laboratory analyses for lead in Phases I, II and III are now complete and these results have been mailed out to the participants. It is too early to interpret overall results for the study since only three out of the four phases are complete. Health Canada is working to share study results with Canadians after all cities have been sampled, and the laboratory analyses are complete.

Phase I

Sampling of randomly selected homes in the first three Ontario cities (Cambridge, Burlington and Hamilton) was completed on May 31, 2007. Representatives from Water and Earth Science Associates Inc., an environmental sciences, health, safety and engineering consulting group, conducted the Phase I sampling on behalf of Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada following a competitive contracting process.

For more information, please contact Water and Earth Science Associates Inc.

Phase II

Recruitment and sampling of randomly selected homes in the second three Ontario cities (Barrie, Sudbury and Thunder Bay) began in the last week of October 2007. Recruitment took place from October - December, 2007, and sampling was completed in February 2008. The laboratory analyses for lead are now complete and these results were mailed out to participants in the spring of 2008. Representatives from Water and Earth Science Associates Inc., were selected to conduct this work on behalf of Health Canada following a competitive contracting process.

For more information, please contact Water and Earth Science Associates Inc.

Phase III

Recruitment and sampling of randomly selected homes in three western Canadian cities (Calgary, Alberta; Richmond, British Columbia; and Vancouver, British Columbia) began in January 2009.  Sampling was completed in March 2009. Representatives from Water and Earth Science Associates Inc., were selected to conduct this work on behalf of Health Canada following a competitive contracting process.

For more information, please contact Water and Earth Science Associates Inc.

Phase IV

Recruitment and sampling of randomly selected homes in four cities (Regina, Saskatchewan; Gatineau, Quebec; Montreal, Quebec; and Halifax, Nova Scotia) began in the last week of October 2009. Sampling will take place from November 2009 to March 2010.  Representatives from Water and Earth Science Associates Inc. have been selected to conduct this work on behalf of Health Canada following a competitive contracting process.

For more information, please contact:

Lydia Renton and Todd Irick
Water and Earth Science Associates Inc.
P.O. Box 430 - 3108 Carp Road
Carp (Ottawa), Ontario
K0A 1L0
Toll-free: 1-888-739-3053
Local calls: (613) 839-3053, x257 and x258