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Document ID ca-gcrwq-2022-02 Title Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality - Cyanobacteria and their Toxins URL unknown Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) none Language Status completed Analyzed at 2026-05-13 15:14:29.321591+00:00 Relevance inventory_targeted_fetch

34 Qualitative 4 Quantitative 83 Definitions

Q Qualitative Requirements (34)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#Q001	administrative	operational	guidance	Guideline Application to Limited Treatment Waters	recreational water	Jurisdictions may choose to apply these guidelines to other natural waters that are applying limited treatment (e.g., short-term application of disinfection for an athletic event) although applying the guidelines in these scenarios should be done with caution as indicator organisms are easier to disinfect then other disease-causing microorganisms (e.g. protozoan pathogens).	When applying guidelines to natural waters applying limited treatment	high
#Q002	monitoring	reporting	recommended	Total Microcystins Measurement	recreational water	When measuring microcystins, it is important to measure total microcystins. This includes microcystins that are both dissolved in the water (extracellular) and bound within the cyanobacterial cells (intracellular).	When measuring microcystins	high
#Q003	monitoring	health	recommended	Inclusion of Microcystin Variants	recreational water	In addition, although the guideline value is based on the toxicity assessment of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), all measurable microcystin variants, not just MC-LR, should be included in the analysis.		high
#Q004	administrative	operational	recommended	Cyanobacteria Management Plan Inclusion	recreational water	The assessment of risk and the resultant decision on management of cyanobacteria and their toxins (including bloom prevention strategies) should be included as part of a management plan for the recreational area.		high
#Q005	administrative	operational	guidance	Modification of Guideline Values	recreational water	The responsible authority may modify these guideline values for recreational areas where site-specific information is available on the maximum ratio of microcystins to total cyanobacteria cells, cyanobacterial biovolume, or chlorophyll-a.	Where site-specific information is available on the maximum ratio of microcystins to total cyanobacteria cells, cyanobacterial biovolume, or chlorophyll-a	high
#Q006	monitoring	operational	recommended	Monitoring Modified Guideline Values	recreational water	If values are modified, authorities should continue to monitor the maximum ratio of the parameter to microcystins to ensure that the modified values remain applicable.	If values are modified	high
#Q007	administrative	operational	recommended	Identification of Areas Needing Management Plan	recreational water	Instead, responsible authorities should identify the areas that may need a management plan in place.		high
#Q008	administrative	operational	guidance	Identification of At-Risk Areas	recreational water	Responsible authorities can then use criteria to identify the areas that are at greater risk for bloom formation.		high
#Q009	administrative	operational	guidance	Prioritization and Monitoring Approach	recreational water	This information can then be used to prioritize areas that should be monitored for bloom formation and determine a monitoring approach (e.g., what to monitor, how often).		high
#Q010	monitoring	operational	recommended	Sampling Intensity Consideration	recreational water	Consideration should also be given to the intensity of sampling that is necessary for characterizing a waterbody and when this monitoring can be reduced based on an understanding of the site-specific conditions that may lead to cyanobacteria blooms.		high
#Q011	reporting	health	recommended	Public Reporting Encouragement	recreational water	As many recreational waterbodies in Canada will fall into the category of lower risk, the general public should be encouraged to report potential cyanobacteria issues to the responsible authority identified by the jurisdiction or to their local public health unit.		high
#Q012	monitoring	health	recommended	Routine Monitoring of Susceptible Areas	recreational water	Recreational water areas that are heavily used and that are suspected or are known to be susceptible to blooms should be routinely monitored as described in their monitoring plan (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly) and have an action plan in place for what measures to take in the event of a toxic bloom.	For recreational water areas that are heavily used and that are suspected or are known to be susceptible to blooms	high
#Q013	administrative	operational	recommended	Action Plan Development	recreational water	It is very difficult to establish an action plan during a bloom event; prior discussion with local groups (e.g., other potentially affected parties, wildlife or agriculture agencies, analytical laboratories) is important to develop an appropriate action plan for use when/if it is needed.		high
#Q014	monitoring	operational	recommended	Validation of Alternative Monitoring Measures	recreational water	Other measures, such as molecular approaches or using satellite imagery, may also be included in a monitoring plan, although these methods should first be validated for the site.		high
#Q015	monitoring	operational	recommended	Confirmation of Cyanobacteria with Chlorophyll-a	recreational water	As chlorophyll-a is not specific to cyanobacteria, it is also important to confirm that blooms are cyanobacteria when using this indicator as part of a monitoring approach.	When using chlorophyll-a as part of a monitoring approach	high
#Q016	monitoring	operational	recommended	Sampling During and After Bloom Collapse	recreational water	Sampling should be done during and after the collapse of the bloom in accordance with the recreational water management plan.		high
#Q017	administrative	health	recommended	Advice on Benthic Mats Accessibility	recreational water	Where mats are accessible, individuals should be advised to avoid these areas, including keeping pets away from the impacted areas.	Where mats are accessible	high
#Q018	administrative	health	recommended	Precautionary Swimming/Contact Advisories	recreational water	In general, due to the difficulty in accurately characterizing the concentrations of toxins in a bloom, primary contact with recreational waters that contain visible blooms should be avoided, and a swimming/contact advisory should be issued as a precaution.		high
#Q019	administrative	operational	recommended	Consultation for Notifications	recreational water	The responsible authority in the jurisdiction, along with the recreational area’s cyanobacteria management plan, should be consulted for additional information.		high
#Q020	administrative	health	recommended	Duration of Swimming/Contact Advisories	recreational water	Swimming/contact advisories should remain in place until the potential health risk associated with the impacted area has been determined to be acceptable for recreational activities.		high
#Q021	administrative	operational	recommended	Conditions for Advisory Removal	recreational water	The conditions required to remove the swimming/contact advisory should be determined by the responsible authority based on the cyanobacteria management plan in place for the recreational area, or, in the absence of a recreational monitoring plan, based on site-specific information from the recreational area (e.g., dilution, historical occurrence of blooms).		high
#Q022	administrative	health	recommended	Advisory Duration in Absence of Toxin Testing	recreational water	In the absence of toxin testing, the swimming/contact advisory should remain in place long enough after the bloom has dissipated to allow any toxin present to be diluted or degraded.	In the absence of toxin testing	high
#Q023	administrative	operational	mandatory	Determination of Toxin Dissipation Time	recreational water	The length of time required for toxin dissipation will need to be determined on a site-specific basis		high
#Q024	reporting	reporting	guidance	Seasonal Notifications for Reoccurring Blooms	recreational water	In waterbodies with a history of reoccurring blooms throughout the recreational season, responsible authorities may choose to leave notifications in place for the season once a bloom occurs.	In waterbodies with a history of reoccurring blooms throughout the recreational season	high
#Q025	reporting	reporting	recommended	Clarity of Public Notifications	recreational water	Public notifications related to cyanobacteria blooms should be simple and clear.		high
#Q026	reporting	reporting	recommended	Contents of Public Notifications	recreational water	The notification should include (US EPA, 2021): * the key message – closure or warning being issued or lifted * list of approved activities and unsafe activities * reason for the notification, e.g. high levels of cyanobacteria or cyanotoxins * location of the recreational area affected by the notification * potential consequences of contact with the affected area * actions being taken by the beach managers to monitor the bloom * contact information for individuals wanting additional information		high
#Q027	administrative	health	recommended	Provision of Educational Materials	recreational water	Educational materials outlining steps the public may take to reduce their personal risk in the event of a bloom should be provided.		high
#Q028	operational	health	recommended	Assumption of Bloom Toxicity	recreational water	As a result, any bloom encountered should be treated as potentially toxic.		high
#Q029	prohibition	health	recommended	Avoidance of Aerosol-Generating Activities	recreational water	As a precaution, activities that are known to generate significant amounts of aerosols (e.g. powerboating) and activities where accidental immersion risk is high (e.g. water skiing/tubing) should be avoided in areas containing visible cyanobacteria blooms.	In areas containing visible cyanobacteria blooms	high
#Q030	treatment	operational	mandatory	Considerations for Control Measures	recreational water	Before direct or indirect measures are used, consideration needs to be given to the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the watershed, as well as the costs, the environmental and social acceptability, and any regulatory requirements applicable to the approach being considered.	Before direct or indirect measures are used	high
#Q031	treatment	operational	recommended	Scientific Evaluation for Cyanobacterial Control	recreational water	Only after a thorough scientific evaluation should a decision be made on the best solution for cyanobacterial control.		high
#Q032	monitoring	operational	recommended	Consideration of Cyanobacteria Types for Cell Counts	recreational water	Therefore, when using total cyanobacteria cell counts, it is important to also consider the types of cyanobacteria that are being identified and where possible, their potential for toxin production.	When using total cyanobacteria cell counts	high
#Q033	monitoring	operational	recommended	Consideration of Cyanobacteria Types for Biovolume	recreational water	Similar to total cell counts, the types of cyanobacteria that are identified, as well as their potential for toxin production, should be considered to help avoid issuing unnecessary swimming/contact advisories.		high
#Q034	monitoring	operational	recommended	Awareness of Test Kit Cross-Reactivity	recreational water	The responsible authority should also be aware that some test kits detect both microcystins and nodularins.		high

P Quantitative Requirements (4)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Limit Type	Limit Value	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#P001	chemical	health	guideline	Total microcystins	recreational water	MAC	10 µg/L	recreational waters used for primary contact recreation	When measuring microcystins, it is important to measure total microcystins (extracellular and intracellular), and all measurable microcystin variants should be included.	high
#P002	microbiological	health	guideline	Total cyanobacteria cells	recreational water	requirement	50000 cells/mL	Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins for primary contact recreation	These measures can be used alone or in combination with the total microcystins guideline.	high
#P003	microbiological	health	guideline	Total cyanobacterial biovolume	recreational water	requirement	4.5 mm3/L	Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins for primary contact recreation	These measures can be used alone or in combination with the total microcystins guideline.	high
#P004	chemical	health	guideline	Total chlorophyll a	recreational water	requirement	33 µg/L	Indicators of the potential presence of cyanotoxins for primary contact recreation	These measures can be used alone or in combination with the total microcystins guideline.	high

D Definitions (83)

Req ID	Name	Context	Confidence
#D001	ECCC	Environment and Climate change Canada	high
#D002	FWQMS	Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Surveillance	high
#D003	CABIN	Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network	high
#D004	CMP	Chemical Management Plan	high
#D005	RBBA	risk-based basin analysis	high
#D006	SSDA’s	sub-sub-drainage areas	high
#D007	WQI	freshwater quality indicator	high
#D008	CESI	Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators	high
#D009	Aquatic Life Reference Values (ALRVs)	pesticide concentrations in surface water below which risks to aquatic life are not expected.	high
#D010	Short-term (acute) ALRVs	indicative of the possible impacts to the aquatic environment that can come from short-term exposure to high concentrations of a pesticide.	high
#D011	Long-term (chronic) ALRVs	indicative of the possible impacts to the aquatic environment that can come from long-term exposure to pesticide concentrations.	high
#D012	ALRV Year Updated	refers to the year of publication of the final decision for the assessment upon which the latest ALRV was based.	high
#D013	ALRV Reference	refers to the published document that contains the toxicity values used to derive the ALRV.	high
#D014	Representative CAS number	a single CAS number associated with the active that has been selected to represent the active for the purposes of data analysis (for example, comparison against water monitoring data available on the Open Government Portal).	high
#D015	Registered CAS number(s)	includes CAS numbers of chemical forms associated with the active as it is currently registered; may include multiple CAS numbers.	high
#D016	LC50	50 percent lethal concentration	high
#D017	LD50	50 percent lethal dose	high
#D018	EC50	50 percent effect concentration	high
#D019	IC50	50 percent inhibition concentration	high
#D020	NOAEC	no observed adverse effects concentration	high
#D021	NOEL	no observed effect level	high
#D022	NOEC	no observed effect concentration	high
#D023	HC5	5 percent hazard concentration	high
#D024	UF	uncertainty factor	high
#D025	µg/L	microgram per liter	high
#D026	Aquatic pesticides	products which are used on aquatic sites to control aquatic pests including: unwanted or invasive species such as plants, fish and mollusks; certain aquatic insects such as mosquito larvae; and fish as part of fisheries management. Aquatic pesticides do not include those products used in swimming pools or industrial water.	high
#D027	Commercial class	Aquatic pesticides used only in water bodies wholly confined to the property of the user where there is no outflow beyond the property limits	high
#D028	Restricted class	Products used to control aquatic pests, including aquatic invasive species, in water bodies that are not wholly confined to the property of the user or where there is outflow beyond the property limits, and in all other aquatic sites such as rivers, lakes and irrigation canals	high
#D029	Pesticides	pest control products	high
#D030	Act	Pest Control Products Act	high
#D031	Regulations	Pest Control Products Regulations	high
#D032	Recreational waters	any natural fresh, marine or estuarine bodies of water that are used for recreational purposes; this includes lakes, rivers, and human-made constructions (e.g., quarries, artificial lakes) that are filled with untreated natural waters.	high
#D033	Primary contact activities	activities that could present a human health risk through intentional or incidental immersion and ingestion, including swimming, bathing, wading, windsurfing and waterskiing.	high
#D034	Secondary contact activities	activities that could present a human health risk through intentional or incidental immersion and ingestion, including canoeing, boating or fishing.	high
#D035	Cyanobacteria	bacteria that share features with algae, such as oxygen-producing photosynthesis using their blue-green photosynthetic pigments; hence, historically they have been termed blue-green algae.	high
#D036	Microcystins (MC)	hepatotoxins that belong to the cyclic peptide group of toxins.	high
#D037	Anatoxins	neurotoxins that interfere with the activity of the nerve transmitter acetylcholine.	high
#D038	Cylindrospermopsins	primarily categorized as a hepatotoxin, although they have also been shown to exert cytotoxicity in other organs such as the kidney, spleen, thymus, heart and gastrointestinal tract.	high
#D039	Nodularins	hepatotoxins usually caused by strains of the brackish-water cyanobacterial genus Nodularia.	high
#D040	Saxitoxins	a group of toxins that include saxitoxin, neosaxitoxin, gonyautoxins, C-toxins, decarbamoylsaxitoxins and lyngbyatoxins.	high
#D041	Cyanobacteria biovolume	a measure of the planktonic cyanobacteria biomass in a water sample. It is obtained from cell counts by determining the average cell volume for each taxon or unit counted and then multiplying this value by the cell counts for the sample.	high
#D042	Chlorophyll a	a photosynthetic green pigment present in cyanobacteria and other phytoplankton.	high
#D043	ALS	amyotrophic lateral sclerosis	high
#D044	BMAA	β-methylamino-L-alanine	high
#D045	ELISA	enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay	high
#D046	HABs	hazardous algal blooms	high
#D047	HBV	health-based value	high
#D048	LOAEL	lowest-observed-adverse-effect level	high
#D049	NOAEL	no-observed-adverse-effect level	high
#D050	TDI	tolerable daily intake	high
#D051	UF	uncertainty factor	high
#D052	ALS-PDC	amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism–dementia complex	high
#D053	bw	body weight	high
#D054	CI	confidence interval	high
#D055	DNA	deoxyribonucleic acid	high
#D056	HPLC	high-performance liquid chromatography	high
#D057	LC	liquid chromatography	high
#D058	MS	mass spectrometry	high
#D059	MS/MS	tandem mass spectrometry	high
#D060	PCR	polymerase chain reaction	high
#D061	PDA	photodiode array	high
#D062	PPIA	protein phosphatase inhibition assay	high
#D063	PSP	paralytic shellfish poisoning	high
#D064	qPCR	quantitative polymerase chain reaction	high
#D065	rRNA	ribosomal ribonucleic acid	high
#D066	TEQ	toxic equivalency	high
#D067	UHPLC	ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography	high
#D068	US	United States	high
#D069	US EPA	United States Environmental Protection Agency	high
#D070	UV	ultraviolet	high
#D071	UVPDA	ultraviolet photodiode array	high
#D072	WHO	World Health Organization	high
#D073	intracellular	bound within the cyanobacterial cells	high
#D074	extracellular	dissolved in the water	high
#D075	cyanobacteria bloom	intense proliferations, creating a visible discoloration and accumulation of cells	high
#D076	picocyanobacteria	small cyanobacteria of less than 2 μm in diameter	high
#D077	epilimnion	mixed water layer	high
#D078	LPS	lipopolysaccharide component of the cyanobacterial cell wall	high
#D079	Adda group	unique amino acid side chain	high
#D080	phycocyanin	blue pigment	high
#D081	bacteriochlorophyll	pigment responsible for the green colour	high
#D082	jar tests	used to look for a visible greenish or bluish tinge to the water indicating phytoplankton growth	high
#D083	Secchi depths	measure the transparency of the water	high