Toxic Nation | Pollution. It's In You.

Playing at the Montréal World Film Festival this fall, A Chemical Reaction is a documentary that tells the story of the historic court case in 2000-2001 between the town of Hudson, which enacted a by-law to ban the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, and some of the most powerful chemical companies in North America.

A new report released by Environmental Defence warns that although fish have a number of health benefits, fishers should be mindful of the potential toxins that might be found in Great Lakes fish and the risk of eating contaminated species.

Health Canada testing has found bisphenol A (BPA) in jarred baby food with metal lids and some polycarbonate bottles of drinking water. The compound was detected in 84% of samples.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment is campaigning for a lawn-pesticide ban in New Brunswick, and they need your help!

Even if you live outside the province, it is important that Canadians work together to ban pesticides across the country.

E-mail the following message to Premier Shawn Graham (Shawn.Graham@gnb.ca), and show your support for a healthy, toxic-free New Brunswick:

Dear Premier,

Check out Kevin McMahon's award-winning feature documentary, Waterlife, a Canadian film which tells the story of the Great Lakes, the last vast supply of fresh water on Earth.

The film explores the mixture of toxins and pollutants threatening the health of the Great Lakes, and the impacts this may have on the survival of surrounding ecosystems and populations.

Following hot on the heels of Canada’s ban, the US federal Congress, along with lawmakers in 24 US states, are working to ban bisphenol A (BPA) in a number of products, from plastic baby bottles to metal food cans. Health studies have linked BPA to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, developmental problems, nerve damage and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer.

A three-year cancer prevention study, funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, will look at the incidence of bladder and kidney cancer associated with environmental exposure to arsenic in drinking water.

New Brunswick is on the brink of introducing legislation which would ban the use of cosmetic pesticides, following a new ban in Ontario, and Quebec’s pioneering ruling.

This comes after a recent push by Prince Edward Island Environment Minister Richard Brown, who wants all three Maritime Provinces to legislate the ban. He states that an umbrella ban over the three provinces would protect consumers from buying banned products in nearby locations.

Health Canada has released a report by a panel of international experts that reveals a strong relationship between chrysotile asbestos and lung cancer. The release has reignited the debate about the future of the asbestos industry in Canada, especially in Quebec where the industry is focused. While all uses of all types of asbestos have been banned in Europe and Australia, Canada remains one of the world’s largest exporters of chrysotile asbestos.

 A new U.S. study, published in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica, has found children conceived in the spring or summer have an increased risk of being born with birth defects, possibly as a result of pesticide exposure.