Canada declare bisphenol-A (BPA) toxic substance

Canada became the first country to declare bisphenol-A a toxic chemical, which is found anything ranging from in paper bills to baby bottles.

The notice published by Canada Gazette, the official newspaper of Government of Canada, said that BPA has been added to the list of substances that may be potentially hazardous to health.

Rick Smith, the executive director of Canada Environmental Defense said: “The federal government’s risk assessment analysis is very strong in terms of it’s conclusions. So it is quite obvious that it will  prompt further actions soon enough”

The BPA is thought to act as an endocrine disrupter in the body, as the compound may interfere with body’s natural hormones and hence retard the development of children. There are other secondary health concerns like obesity, cancer and various neurological defects.

“Scientific researches have explored the possibility of bisphenol-A being hazardous to human health and the environment, and we are the first nation to take such a bold action for the sake of all the canadians”: Health Minister of Canada, Leona Aglukkaq said.

The AAC (American Chemsitry Council) noted that this contradicts with the research results of Canadian health departmentent, and said BPA doesn’t accumulate in the body.

The EU food safety watchdog had said earlier that it saw no issues with the usage of bispehnol-A, if within official limits.