It’s hard to walk down the kitchenware aisle in a Canadian store without noticing the “BPA-free” labels on plastic bottles and containers.
Consumers usually assume these labels mean products are safer, or better, because they do not contain the harmful chemical, bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a chemical additive in polycarbonate, the hard clear plastic from which baby bottles are made.
But new research suggests the chemicals now used as substitutes for BPA, mainly bisphenols, may have negative health impacts similar to those caused by BPA. Health and environmental advocates are raising questions about the safety of those substitutes.
And the record of what impact such products may have is confused, because there is little information for consumers on what substances are being used to replace BPA.
Chemicals like BPA… are being replaced by what are referred to as ‘regrettable substitutes.’– Muhannad Malas, Environmental Defence
BPA has been used for more than 60 years and is also found in the epoxy resin that lines food cans, as well as items like baby teething rings, baby clothing, register receipts, and dental sealants.
Manufacturers began using BPA substitutes in response to Canada’s 2010 ban on BPA in baby bottles after an extensive assessment concluded it was toxic. International research found BPA was an endocrine disruptor, capable of interrupting the normal process of human growth and development, and may be linked to poor neurobehavioural functioning, obesity, and cancer. The safety of BPA is still under debate.
Although the ban was primarily meant to protect infants, it resulted in the widespread introduction of “BPA-free” products, including reusable water bottles and lunch containers.
Substitutes show up in food, blood
Butresearchers are worried that the chemicals used to replace BPA, things like bisphenol S, bisphenol F and bisphenol B, are starting to show up in food, house dust, blood and urine.
These newer chemicals were chosen because they were similar enough to BPA to serve the same function — namely, to produce strong, clear plastics. But growing evidence suggests they may also be endocrine disruptors.
A 2019 study in the journal Toxicology reviewed hundreds of studies on two dozen different BPA substitutes and concluded that some “have health or toxicological effects at concentrations similar to or lower than BPA.”
Then-federal health minister Tony Clement announces a plan in 2008 to ban the import and sale of plastic baby bottles containing BPA. Although the ban was primarily meant to protect infants, it resulted in the widespread introduction of ‘BPA-free’ products, including reusable water bottles and lunch containers. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
In other words, these chemicals may have the same harmful effects as BPA, but at lower levels. Almost all of the BPA substitutes showed some hormonal influence, suggesting they could affect growth and reproduction.
“This is something that the scientific community has been warning regulators about for a very, very long time,” said Muhannad Malas, toxics program manager at Environmental Defence, an advocacy group. “Chemicals like BPA, that end up getting phased out through regulation or through voluntary corporate action, are being replaced by what are referred to as ‘regrettable substitutes.'”
Not convinced
Researchers argue that other bisphenols are being used as substitutes in plastic products, based on their growing presence in the environment and in our bodies. Pinpointing the exact source is challenging because companies are not required to list them as ingredients. Plastic is one of the likely sources, but food cans, receipt paper and clothing may also contribute.
Still, Steve Hentges, a senior director at the American Chemistry Council, which represents the chemicals industry, is not convinced.
“There is little evidence or reason to believe that BPA is being replaced with other bisphenols,” he said on behalf of the organization.
The 2019 Toxicology study noted that some BPA substitutes had not been studied, possibly because it was “unclear if they are chemicals in current use.” The authors also noted that there was limited information on other BPA substitutes known to be in use, and stressed the need for more information about the levels of these chemicals in human populations.
Health Canada is aware of these concerns. The department confirmed in an emailed statement that “certain bisphenols have been identified for further scoping, and further information gathering is ongoing.” It added that future releases of the Canadian Health Measures Survey will measure the most common BPA substitutes to assess their impact on Canadians.
BPA substitutes generally not disclosed
It is not easy for consumers to identify which plastics contain BPA substitutes, because manufacturers generally do not disclose this information on product packaging. “The only way for a concerned parent to verify is by contacting the company and asking the question,” Malas said. “In many cases the company may not even know.”
Identifying the substitutes is further complicated by widespread use of the BPA-free label.
“My suspicion is that the BPA-free label is marketing,” said Erica Phipps, executive director of Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment, an organization that advocated for BPA to be replaced with safer alternatives in a 2010 position paper.
“It’s responding to the fact that BPA has now been identified as something that we’d like to avoid exposure to. You’ll see it on categories of products that never had BPA to start with.”
VANCOUVER – Mayors and other leaders from several British Columbia communities say the provincial and federal governments need to take “immediate action” to tackle mental health and public safety issues that have reached crisis levels.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says it’s become “abundantly clear” that mental health and addiction issues and public safety have caused crises that are “gripping” Vancouver, and he and other politicians, First Nations leaders and law enforcement officials are pleading for federal and provincial help.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby, mayors say there are “three critical fronts” that require action including “mandatory care” for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.
The letter says senior governments also need to bring in “meaningful bail reform” for repeat offenders, and the federal government must improve policing at Metro Vancouver ports to stop illicit drugs from coming in and stolen vehicles from being exported.
Sim says the “current system” has failed British Columbians, and the number of people dealing with severe mental health and addiction issues due to lack of proper care has “reached a critical point.”
Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer says repeat violent offenders are too often released on bail due to a “revolving door of justice,” and a new approach is needed to deal with mentally ill people who “pose a serious and immediate danger to themselves and others.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
