'Beginning of the end' for phthalates

Canada is planning to ban a variety of phthalates, following the lead of U.S. and European bans. One Canadian environmental advocate said Canada’s move marks “the beginning of the end for this chemical.”

The U.S. banned several permutations of phthalates in February and Europe has had a ban in place for 10 years. The chemicals are added to plastics to make products stronger and more pliable. Phthalates are also used in many personal care products because the chemicals prolong the life of fragrance; that group of phthalates is not included in the proposed ban.

Recent scientific research has linked phthalate exposure to feminization of male fetuses.

Canadian environmentalists welcomed news of the ban, saying that if the country fell behind on regulation it runs the risk of attracting toxic consumer products, according to a story in The Globe and Mail.

Canada risked becoming a “toxic dumping ground for crappy toys that the rest of the world doesn't want,” said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, an advocacy group.

Mr. Smith asserted that Health Canada's move “is the beginning of the end for this chemical. I mean, if the chemical is so toxic that it should not be included in rubber ducks, it's then logically the case this chemical is too toxic to be in baby shampoos, it's too toxic to be in adult products.”

The chemical industry, not surprisingly, said there was no scientific basis for such a ban, according to a Reuters story.