Canada misses chance to ban toxic plastics chemicals: environment watchdog
OTTAWA — The federal government missed a crucial opportunity to protect Canadians from harmful chemicals that could interfere with fertility and behaviour, an environmental organization says.
After a review, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced Friday that none of more than a dozen phthalates studied posed a risk to human health, and only one needs further study for possible risk to the environment.
Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics flexible and harder to break, or as solvents, and are used in hundreds of commercial products including food containers, children’s toys, detergents and personal hygiene products like makeup and shampoo.
Muhannad Malas, who runs the toxics program for Environmental Defence, said the European Union has concluded at least four phthalates pose a risk to human health and it is mind boggling that Canada did not come to the same conclusion.