TORONTO _ When most Canadians open their kitchen cupboards, they're sure to find at least one product packaged in a container made with bisphenol A.
The controversial chemical, expected to soon be designated a toxic agent by the federal government, is a mainstay of products consumers use every day _ from water and baby bottles to liners in food and beverage cans to sealants used in dental fillings.
CORRECTION: In an earlier story, The Canadian Press reported soft drink and fruit juice bottles are also often made from that type of plastic. That is not the case.
Bisphenol A, or BPA, allows manufacturers to make a rigid and translucent product known as polycarbonate plastic, often _ but not always _ identified by a triangle surrounding the number 7. In canned food and beverages, especially acidic vegetables and fruits, BPA-resin liners stop the contents from eroding the metal container.
But it's also a molecule that mimics estrogen and can leach from receptacles: injection of the agent into lab rodents has been shown to cause hormonal dysfunction and tumours, and scientists believe long-term exposure in humans could lead in some cases to infertility, early puberty, and even breast and prostate cancers.
So if BPA is virtually everywhere, what can consumers do to protect their health?
``My advice would be to take action, that there's enough evidence to take action,'' said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, an advocacy group that has long lobbied to have BPA deemed a toxic agent.
``This is the kind of chemical that may cause problems in the longer term,'' Smith said Wednesday. ``This is not the kind of chemical that's going to cause problems all at once in a day or two.''
``So people don't need to rush out today, but certainly as soon as they can they should substitute non-toxic alternatives for their bisphenol A products, especially if they're using things for their kids.''
Infants and children are especially vulnerable to pollutants and toxins because their brains and bodies are still developing, with their cells dividing more quickly than those of adults, he said.
While many manufacturers have stopped making BPA-containing plastic baby bottles and turned to safer alternatives, parents may still be using older products that can leach BPA with heating and washing, as well as from acidic liquids like juice.
``They should absolutely ditch their bisphenol A baby bottles and sippy cups,'' said Smith, who advises switching to glass, or at the least, non-toxic plastic. ``There are very good, reasonably priced alternatives in the market right now.''
The same is true for sports water bottles made with plastic containing bisphenol A. In fact, many major Canadian retailers have pulled such bottles from their shelves, replacing them with non-toxic plastic or stainless steel products. Some, such as the Hudson's Bay company, are offering buy-back programs of bottles containing the chemical.
On Wednesday, Wal-Mart Canada joined the growing list of retailers dumping at least some BPA products when it announced it will immediately stop selling select baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, food containers and water bottles made with the agent. Home Depot Canada also said it would pull products made with BPA from its stores.
