Canadian phthalates to be banned from baby products and restricted in children's products

Photograph by: Handout, CNS from Vancouver Sun

...Health Canada found the widespread presence of phthalates in these children's items, despite a decade-long voluntary ban in North America.

According to the test results released to Postmedia News under access-to-information legislation, three-quarters (54 of 72) of soft plastic toys and other items for young children contained up to 39.9 per cent by weight of PVC...

Full article By Sarah Schmidt, Postmedia News/ Vancouver Sun

See also: Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects our Health by Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada

Replacement for BPA is also found to have negative health effects

An animal study finds for the first time that another widely used phthalate affects development when exposure occurs in the womb and early life. It is also the first to show the chemical can affect brain development, too. DINP – a phthalate that is increasingly used in plastic products – caused similar changes in the male reproductive system as other types of recently banned – but more potent – phthalates.

Synopsis by Emily Barrett and Wendy Hessler from Environmental Health News

Original article in the science journal Reproductive Toxicology