Toxic Nation | Pollution. It's In You.

Canada took the international lead on BPA action back in 2008. With last week’s announcement that France has suspended the sale of baby bottles containing BPA (French), and news that New York State is well on its way to doing so, Canada’s early action is being justified by growing global BPA action.

It's true - bisphenol A (BPA) has not yet been added to the federal government’s Toxic Substances List. Chemicals on the Toxic Substances List must be managed in Canada while those that are not on the list may or may not be managed depending on things such as provincial regulations.

Photo from thedailygreen.com Triclosan – a man-made antibacterial found in many soaps and sanitizers – has, perhaps, seen more encouraging days. While its use in all kinds of antibacterial consumer products continues to grow (think toothpastes, cutting boards, socks), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) questioning of the substance also seems to be expanding.

Tomorrow afternoon, it is anticipated that the federal government will publish their draft decision on whether or not another concerning chemical used in personal care products will be proposed as "toxic" in Canada. If it is, the government can propose actions intended to reduce our exposures.

For those of you watching or reading the news last week, you’ve probably come across a couple of BPA stories making the media rounds. Regardless of whether you have or haven’t seen them, know that both are significant in that they further vindicate Canada’s earlier position on the substance (that it’s harmful) and that they contribute to building momentum for broader BPA bans (including the need to get it out of all food and beverage containers).

Photo from the Associated Press of a necklace, purchased at an Ohio Wal-Mart, that contains high cadmium levels.

Yesterday, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum advised parents to take metal jewelry away from “children who will swallow, suck or chew on it” and that parents should “not allow young children to be given or to play with cheap metal jewelry, especially when they are unsupervised”.

Good news! Just before the holidays, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), as well as two US manufacturers and the largest US importer of the toxic flame retardant decaBDE, announced a voluntary phase out of the chemical’s production, importation, and sale by the end of 2013. This chemical is part of the polybrominated flame retardant (PBDE) family and is used to make the sole PBDE mixture still widely used.

If you’re looking for some good movie-viewing this holiday season, watch Chemerical! This film by Andrew Nisker (maker of the award winning film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home) “explores the life cycle of everyday householder cleaners and hygiene products to prove that, thanks to our clean obsession, we are drowning in sea of toxicity.”

Photo courtesy of the Natural Step, Lighthouse Sustainable Building Centre, and David Suzuki Foundation

Looking for a one-stop place with tips on how you can reduce the impact of climate change (and save some money doing so) by making changes around your home? Well look no more!

Photo courtesy of www.cbc.ca

A recent University of Rochester study of women showed that male children exposed to high doses of two phthalates (DEHP and DBP) in the womb were less likely to have “male-typical behaviour”.