Safe chemicals now considered hazardous

TORONTO—A report by Canadian regulators says 4,000 chemicals generally thought to be safe are potentially hazardous to humans.
       Many of the chemicals are industrial compounds but others are used to make everyday products ranging from hair dryers to water bottles, fast-food wrappers, computers and tin cans, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported recently.
       Fe de Leon, a researcher at the Canadian Environmental Law Association, has seen a preliminary copy of the list of chemicals to be reviewed and said it contained around 4,000 substances she characterized as including “the baddies of the bad.”
       They include bisphenol A, the basic building block for polycarbonate plastic. It is used to make water jugs, is a component in dental sealants for children’s teeth, and is found in resins that line tin cans, the newspaper said. The list also includes some types of perfluorocarbons, which are used to make nonstick, stain-resistant or water-repellant products and are commonly found in fast-food packaging, furniture, clothing and cookware.
       However, a press release issued early this month on the web site www.bisphenol-a.org, indicated that polycarbonate plastic has been the material of choice for baby bottles and many reusable water bottles for many years.
       “In spite of years of scientific research that support their safe use, and multiple reviews of that research by government and scientific bodies worldwide, scare stories persist claiming that polycarbonate bottles are not safe. Recent research and up-to-date assessments once again confirm that polycarbonate bottles are safe for use,” said the web site, which is sponsored by the Bisphenol A Global Industry Group of the American Plastics Council; the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association. Bloomberg