Canadian Biomonitoring Dashboard: About

This dashboard shows levels of environmental chemicals in the Canadian population, as measured through the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).

On this page

• Definitions
• Instructions for using the dashboard
• Analysis overview
• Interpreting the results
• Database download
• Suggested citation
• Contact us

Definitions

Here are terms used in the Canadian Biomonitoring Dashboard. These definitions will help you understand the information shown in the Results tab.

Term	Description
Arithmetic mean (AM)	The average level of a biomarker in the population. It is strongly influenced by high values and may not represent typical levels for environmental chemicals.
Below the limit of detection (<LOD)	Indicates that the biomarker level was too low to be reliably measured. In the dashboard, these levels appear as missing values in average charts (no bar shown) and as an open diamond in the percentile chart.
Biomarker	A substance that we can measure in people that tells us how much of a chemical is present within the human body.
Chemical	A natural or human-made substance that can be present in the environment, food, drinking water, or consumer products.
Collection period	The range of years when samples were collected for one cycle of the CHMS. Each cycle is about two years long.
95% confidence interval (95% CI)	A range of values that shows the uncertainty around a result. A narrow range represents higher confidence in the result and a wider range represents lower confidence in the result. Shown as lines extending from the bars in average charts.
Detection frequency	The percent of the population with a level of the biomarker at or above the LOD.
Geometric mean (GM)	The average level of a biomarker in the population. This type of average is less affected by high values and is commonly used when levels vary widely, which is typical for measurements of environmental chemicals. Shown as bars in average charts.
Level	The amount or concentration of a measured biomarker. Levels can be shown as an average or as percentiles.
Limit of detection (LOD)	The lowest level at which a biomarker can be reliably measured. Shown as dashed lines in charts.
Not available (NA)	Indicates that the result is not available. This occurs for some biomarkers that are calculated rather than directly measured (for example, Aroclor 1260). For these biomarkers, the LOD, the % samples <LOD, and detection frequency cannot be calculated.
Not calculated (NC)	Indicates that an average (GM or AM) was not calculated since more than 40% of samples were below the LOD. Appears as a missing result in average charts.
Percentage of samples below LOD (% samples <LOD)	The percentage of samples with biomarker levels too low to be reliably measured.
Percentile	Indicates where the level of a biomarker falls within the population. A range of percentiles can be used to describe how biomarker levels are distributed across the population.
5th percentile (P5)	A lower level of the biomarker in the population. 5% of the population had levels below this value, while 95% had levels above it. Shown as a black circle in the percentile chart.
10th percentile (P10)	A lower level of the biomarker in the population. 10% of the population had levels below this value, while 90% had levels above it.
25th percentile (P25)	A lower level of the biomarker in the population. 25% of the population had levels below this value, while 75% had levels above it. Shown as a black circle in the percentile chart.
50th percentile (P50)	The middle level of the biomarker in the population. At this level, 50% of the population had levels below it and 50% had levels above it. Shown as a black diamond in the percentile chart.
75th percentile (P75)	An upper level of the biomarker in the population. 75% of the population had levels below this value, while 25% had levels above it. Shown as a black circle in the percentile chart.
90th percentile (P90)	An upper level of the biomarker in the population. 90% of the population had levels below this value, while 10% had levels above it.
95th percentile (P95)	An upper level of the biomarker in the population. 95% of the population had levels below this value, while 5% had levels above it. Shown as a black circle in the percentile chart.
Result	A value reported from the survey data. Results include biomarker levels as well as other measures, such as detection frequency and the percent of samples below the LOD.
Sex at birth	Refers to sex assigned at birth. Sex at birth is typically assigned based on a person's reproductive system and other physical characteristics.
Suppressed (X)	Indicates that the level was not released because there were not enough participants to ensure confidentiality.

Instructions for using the dashboard

Select a biomarker from the dropdown menu on the Results page. Click the menu to view the list of available biomarkers, or begin typing to search. You can also use the dropdown menus to filter the list by chemical, chemical group, or chemical CAS RN.

After selecting a biomarker, use the radio buttons to choose the preferred matrix and units. The matrix is the medium in which the biomarker is measured, such as blood, plasma, serum, urine or hair. Some biomarkers are measured in more than one matrix, and available units may change depending on the matrix you select. The dashboard automatically updates the highlights, charts, data table, and method summary (coming soon) based on your selections. Select the Reset all button above the biomarker dropdown menu to reset the dashboard.

The Highlights section provides a summary of the available data for the selected biomarker and matrix, along with a link to more information about the biomarker, chemical or chemical group.

Charts show data visualizations of biomarker levels (also called concentrations) in the Canadian population. These are available for two types of statistics: averages and percentiles. Use the radio buttons under Statistic type to choose the preferred visualization option.

When you select averages, the dashboard displays charts of average (geometric mean) levels by collection period, age group, and sex at birth. By default, the charts show levels for all available collection periods for the selected biomarker. The first chart shows average levels for the total Canadian population. For biomarkers measured in multiple collection periods, the dashboard presents averages for the largest age group common to all periods. The second chart shows average levels by CHMS age group, and the third chart shows average levels by sex at birth. Within each chart, you can focus on specific population groups by clicking the bars or the legend to hide or unhide results. The data used to generate the charts are available in the text description below each chart and in tooltips within the chart. Images of these charts can be downloaded in SVG format.

In certain cases, average levels are not available for a selected biomarker and matrix for some or all collection periods, age groups, or sex at birth options. This usually occurs when detection levels are too low to calculate an average, but it may also occur when averages are below the LOD or suppressed (X).

When this affects only some levels, the dashboard generates the chart but no bar is shown where a level is not available. In these cases, the charts include the note: "One or more results are not shown. See the data table for more information."

When this affects all levels in a chart, the dashboard does not generate a chart. In these cases, the dashboard displays the message: "Results are not shown. See the data table for more information."

When you select percentiles, the dashboard displays a percentile distribution chart. By default, the chart shows the 5^th, 25^th, 50^th, 75^th, and 95^th percentiles for all collection periods, CHMS age groups, and sex at birth options. Use the dropdown menus and checkboxes to narrow down the results. You can also sort the chart using the arrows in the column headers, filter using the text box and expand to view additional entries. The horizontal box in the chart highlights the range, when available, between the 25^th and 75^th percentiles and is coloured based on the sex at birth option presented. The data used to generate the chart are available in the tooltips and all percentiles are available in the data table.

In some cases, some or all percentiles are not available for a selected biomarker and matrix. This usually occurs when percentiles are below the LOD or suppressed (X). Percentiles below the LOD are indicated with an open diamond in the chart. In cases where all percentiles are below the LOD, the distributions include the note: "all <LOD".

A Data table is provided below the charts and can be downloaded in CSV format. The table provides an expanded dataset for the selected biomarker and matrix, including the number of samples, detection frequency, and additional statistics (for example AM, P10 and P90). In addition to CHMS age groups, the table also includes data for other age groups identified by stakeholders as being of interest.

The final section of the dashboard provides a Method summary (coming soon) for the selected biomarker and matrix, including information on the analytical method.

Analysis overview

The CHMS is a sample survey. This means that it collects information from a small group of people to represent the Canadian population. To make sure the results reflect the Canadian population, we adjust the data to account for differences in who was selected and who responded. Chemical exposure levels are calculated using R software and summarized with measures such as averages (GM and AM), percentiles, and detection frequencies. Statistical methods are also used to calculate variability in the results (95% CI). More information and access to CHMS data are available through Statistics Canada.

Interpreting the results

Exercise caution when comparing biomonitoring results across collection periods. Because the analytical method and LOD can change over time, you should review this information in the data table and method summary (coming soon) before making conclusions.

Use caution when comparing creatinine-adjusted results for chemical biomarkers measured in urine. Creatinine levels differ by age and sex. We recommend that you only compare creatinine-adjusted levels for the same age group or sex at birth across collection periods.

For more information and considerations for interpreting the biomonitoring data, please see the statistical analysis (coming soon) and interpretation information (coming soon) available in the Resources tab.

Database download

The full database of CHMS human biomonitoring data available in the Canadian Biomonitoring Dashboard will be available later in 2026 on the Open Government Portal.

Data for each biomarker and matrix can be downloaded in CSV format by selecting the "Download biomarker data (CSV)" option below the data table in the Results page of the dashboard.

Suggested citation

Health Canada. 2026. Canadian Biomonitoring Dashboard. Ottawa, ON. Available:
https://health-infobase.canada.ca/biomonitoring/

Contact us

biomonitoring-biosurveillance@hc-sc.gc.ca