Bisphenol A declared toxic substance
Posted Oct 14, 2010 7:33 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian government has officially designated bisphenol A as a toxic substance.
BPA is a plastic-making compound found in many products.
Two years ago, Canada became the first country in the world to ban the use of the substance in baby bottles over fears the chemical can lead to cancer.
Executive Director of Environmental Defence Rick Smith feels the toxic designation is a significant public health victory.
However, he says more needs to be done to protect all Canadians and not just babies.
Critics of the chemical are calling for the ban to be extended to cover all food and beverage cans, since so many people are exposed to the product.
A Statistics Canada study found 91 percent of Canadians have the substance in their system.
Health Canada thinks an all-out ban is premature, based on current research.
