Drinking water and health: Contaminants

Read our fact sheets and infographics about certain drinking water contaminants, their health effects and how to reduce your exposure. Each sheet also includes a link to the guidelines for that contaminant. If there are special considerations for sensitive groups such as infants, the sheets will mention them.

Health Canada has more than 100 guidelines and guidance documents on drinking water. Not all of them have fact sheets. If the contaminant you're interested in isn't on this list, you can find its more technical guidance document in our resources for professionals.

• Aluminum
• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Barium
• Cadmium
• Chloramines
• Copper
• 1,4-Dioxane
• Enteric protozoa (Giardia and Cryptosporidium)
• Enteric viruses
• Lead
  • Drinking water: what about lead? (infographic)
• Legionella (infographic)
• Manganese
• Perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS)
• Summary of drinking water values for PFOS, PFOA and other PFAS
• Strontium
• Uranium

Related links

• Cleaning faucet aerators (infographic)
• Finding a drinking water filter (infographic)
• Technical resources