A new report from Health Canada shows a serious need for stronger laws protecting Canadians from toxic chemicals, environmental organizations say.
Released on Thursday as part of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), the report finds that the majority of Canadians are exposed to toxic chemicals.
One figure said nine out of every 10 Canadians are still exposed to BPA. Despite the chemical compound having been declared toxic, it is found in items like receipts and food and beverage cans.
The exposure to toxic chemicals also comes through commonly used items like lotions, food packaging, and shampoo, the report found.
“This hormone-disrupting chemical, [BPA], was declared toxic and was banned from baby bottles in Canada seven years ago to protect infants,” Muhannad Malas, toxics program manager with environmental advocacy group Environmental Defence, said in a statement.
“[W]e’re now seeing that exposures in some young children may have slightly increased. It’s clear that our current regulations are not working.”
Certain types of parabens – often used in personal care products as preservatives – that are believed to cause hormonal disruptions, were also found in the vast majority of Canadians, the report found.
There was, however, a silver lining in Health Canada’s findings.
Some results showed that prohibiting the use of certain chemicals (through bans, for example) made a difference. For example, levels of triclosan – an antibacterial property used in toothpaste and soap – seemed to be declining. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on triclosan in soap.
In a 2016 review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development made 87 recommendations to strengthen the CEPA.
“Right now, the federal government has a golden opportunity to fix Canada’s outdated toxics law, CEPA, and to offer Canadians stronger protections from toxics in line with current scientific knowledge and European and American laws,” Malas said in the statement. “We cannot let it pass us by.”
