It's official

[phishtaper]

these are dangerous.

Health Canada has classified bisphenol A a dangerous substance.

Canada first to label bisphenol A as officially dangerous

Would pave way for a federal ban

MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

April 15, 2008 at 2:30 AM EDT

Health Canada is calling bisphenol A a dangerous substance, making it the first regulatory body in the world to reach such a determination and taking the initial step toward measures to control exposures to it.

Although the government won't announce specific bans or restrictions, the designation as dangerous could pave the way for the hormonally active chemical to be listed as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which would allow Health Minister Tony Clement to issue specific measures to curb its use.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in modern industry. It is the basic building block for polycarbonate, the see-through, shatter-proof plastic that resembles glass, and is also used to make the epoxy resins lining the insides of most tin cans, along with some dental sealants, sports helmets, and compact discs.

Experts are worried about BPA in food and beverage containers. Products such as CDs aren't considered a problem.

“Bisphenol A is in every Canadian home. It threatens the health of every Canadian. Moving against it would be a hugely significant victory for public health and the environment,†said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, a group that has been campaigning for a ban on the chemical from food containers.

The conclusion by Health Canada that BPA is a possible threat, expected to be announced as early as Wednesday, will amount to one of the most important regulatory decisions regarding a single chemical in decades, and will put pressure on its counterparts at both the European Union and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reconsider their approval.

“If this chemical is listed as toxic [by Health Canada], it will be an internationally significant decision,†Mr. Smith said.

Under Health Canada's regulatory approach, the government department, along with Environment Canada, is expected later this week to release a draft assessment indicating that bisphenol A endangers people and the environment. The document outlining this finding will be open for a 60-day public comment period. If no new information is made available through the consultation to overturn the finding, the government will issue a final report outlining control measures within a year.

The government had a deadline of mid-May to issue its BPA assessment but is moving earlier because of intense public interest.

The expected announcement will also win the Harper government praise among environmentalists, who have been harsh critics of the Conservatives' approach to climate change but will find it hard to criticize groundbreaking action on a chemical pollutant.

U.S. tests have found that more than 90 per cent of the population carries in their bodies trace residues of the chemical, whose molecular shape allows it to mimic the female hormone estrogen. Small amounts of BPA can leach from food and beverage containers during use, such as when they are heated, exposed to harsh dishwashing chemicals, or contain acidic substances. Health Canada is testing Canadians' BPA levels, but the results will not be available for several years.

In response to concerns over the safety of BPA, many specialty retailers, including Mountain Equipment Co-op, have pulled polycarbonate plastic containers from their stores, and BPA-free bottles are been flying off shelves, creating shortages. Hudson's Bay Co. announced last month that it had “secured large quantities†BPA-free baby products, a sign of how quickly even the mass market has moved against the chemical.

Independent researchers in dozens of studies have linked trace BPA exposures in animal and test-tube experiments to conditions involving hormone imbalances, including breast and prostate cancer, early puberty and changes in brain structure, particularly for exposures during key points of fetal or early neonatal development.

However, industry-funded testing has been unable to confirm these findings. The trade association representing major manufacturers, the American Chemistry Council. based in Arlington, Va., submitted two studies to Health Canada during its assessment indicating BPA has no harmful effects at low doses.

Until now, regulators in other countries have accepted the industry's assertion that BPA is harmless at the tiny, parts-per-billion type exposures from canned food and plastic beverage containers. A part per billion is roughly equal to one blade of grass on a football field, although natural hormones such as estrogen are active at far lower concentrations, around a part per trillion.

Polycarbonate is sometimes identified by the recycling industry's symbol of the number seven inside a triangle, with the letters PC nearby.

[SaggyBalls]

My Pasta Express has an AS beside the triangle.

"Independent researchers in dozens of studies have linked trace BPA exposures in animal and test-tube experiments to conditions involving hormone imbalances, including breast and prostate cancer, early puberty and changes in brain structure, particularly for exposures during key points of fetal or early neonatal development."

I hope my doctor doesn't kill the mood when right after he tells me to cough.

[Sarahbelle]

wow that is so dissapointing and discusting at the same time. I own one of those bottles and I use it pretty much everyday. awesome.. now I have chemicals running through me.

I don't understand why manufactuers have to pump everything we buy full of crap...

[SaggyBalls]

Sarah, it's not that they pump the stuff we buy full of crap, they don't think of the environment and those in it before making things to sell to us even by going with the flow.

I'm sure, for example, Nalgene isn't an evil company, but it's pretty obvious that plastics are not good for us. In fact, using oil at all is not good for the environment. I'm really suprised that people are at all shocked by this.

Sure it takes energy to make anything - especially stainless steel, and even Glass, but they're not as toxic and much nicer to drink from.

[Schwa.]

Klean Alternative.

When Simone and Marie (KW girls) went to work out in California (2004) they met the fella that started this company in Chico, CA.

I've had a Klean Kanteen around my place for a while now, but still use my Nalgene Bottle from time to time. Anyway, thought i'd put this up for any locals (Toronto and Kitchener) that would like to purchase one.

Canadian Suppliers:

Gone Shopping

Toronto, Ontario

KW Kids

83 Shanley Street

Kitchener, Ontario

Soleil Saunas Inc.

2286 Sundance Drive

Westbank, BC

Mom Knows Best Natural Solutions

448 13th Street N.W.

Calgary, AB

Klean Kanteen Website

[timouse]

kleen kanteen also supports fundraising. i got mine through wellington water watchers.

and as far as nalgene goes, they are a bit evil. this was a big product for them for a long time.

it no longer appears on their web page, but there was never an official statement from them saying they were out of the animal testing paraphernalia business.

Edited April 16, 2008 by Guest

[phishtaper]

OMG, i had no idea nalgene is a medical supply company.

[Blurry]

Grrrr - had thrown ours in the recycling a while back.....couldn't find a good alternative so just bought a couple more on the weekend.

Klean Kanteen - are these durable? Had bought a couple that looked like those but they dented to no end!

Edited April 16, 2008 by Guest

[phishtaper]

couldn't find a good alternative so just bought a couple more on the weekend.

try taking them back. if it's a good store, they will accept the return. if it's a bad store, well, then ya know it's a bad store.

i mentioned it to a couple of students at McMaster yesterday and they told me that the University gave all frosh a nalgene bottle during frosh week this year. one of the students joked, "you think we can sue?".

[Schwa.]

babs, they're very durable. you'd have to physically hit it on something or drop from a pretty good height to dent it.....but the water tastes the same when its dented (my mom would have said )

[boiler]

Can anyone recommend any BPA free baby bottles and where to get them? We just threw out our Avent bottles. Apparently the Playtex bottles we have are better than the Avent, but still contain BPA.

[Jaimoe]

Can anyone recommend any BPA free baby bottles and where to get them? We just threw out our Avent bottles. Apparently the Playtex bottles we have are better than the Avent, but still contain BPA.

Can't you just go "old-school" and get glass bottles?

[timouse]

babs, they're very durable. you'd have to physically hit it on something or drop from a pretty good height to dent it.....but the water tastes the same when its dented (my mom would have said )

i had a sigg bottle for a while.

it's aluminum with an enamel coating inside. i don't think it liked getting dropped as it dented really easily, i really don't think the enamel coating stood up well to denting. as it turns out, cleaning it with really hot water was a mistake, and made it smell like ass.

i like the kleen kanteen much better.

[boiler]

Can't you just go "old-school" and get glass bottles?

Easier said than done. My wife is going on the hunt today.

[Schwa.]

babs' date=' they're very durable. you'd have to physically hit it on something or drop from a pretty good height to dent it.....but the water tastes the same when its dented (my mom would have said )

[/quote']

i had a sigg bottle for a while.

it's aluminum with an enamel coating inside. i don't think it liked getting dropped as it dented really easily, i really don't think the enamel coating stood up well to denting. as it turns out, cleaning it with really hot water was a mistake, and made it smell like ass.

i like the kleen kanteen much better.

the klean kanteens are stainless steel i'm pretty sure, nice and strong.

[rubberdinghy]

Yep...one of the girls at the gym was using a mason jar today!

[boiler]

That was easy. Walmart already had all the BPA bottles pulled. Only one brand was left, Nuby.

You have to think, this is going to bankrupt some companies.

[Schwa.]

Bankruptcy in the name of health. Viva la revalutione!

[angiogram]

Isn't there a place in Wakefield that sells Stainless Steel bottles?

[bradm]

Isn't there a place in Wakefield that sells Stainless Steel bottles?

Yup:

http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/

Aloha,

Brad

[CyberHippie]

Apparently there is a new kit that you can use to turn your old nalgene bottles into flashlights... At least it's something...

[c-towns]

its too late for all you hippies.

[onthejourney]

Klean Kanteen rocks! Super solid unlike those aluminum ones.

We got ours here online:

http://www.arbourshop.com/category.php/Stainless_Steel_Water_Bottles

[phishtaper]

ugh, i just read that the large 18L water cooler plastic bottles contain BPA.

great.

[Mr. Photogeek]

Pretty sure you can get glass bottles for your water cooler (not sure if they are 18 L though)...I'll have to do a little digging on this one myself. We actually need a refill so I'm going to ask at the health food store tomorrow...