Ottawa suggests adding chemical to toxic list

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Ottawa suggests adding chemical to toxic list 

 

 MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT 

From Saturday's Globe and Mail 

January 24, 2009   

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090124.wtoxic24/BNStory/Nat\

ional/  

 

Health Canada and Environment Canada are recommending adding a former chemical

warfare agent, diethyl sulphate, to the country's list of toxic substances.

 

Although the substance isn't a household name, it can be used to make fabric

softeners or flocculants in wastewater and sewage sludge control, and in the

production of pharmaceuticals, fragrances and dyes.

 

The government is concerned about diethyl sulphate because a number of foreign

jurisdictions, including the European Commission, consider it a possible cause

of cancer.

 

The substance is named in Saturday's Canada Gazette, the federal government's

internal newspaper, and marks a resumption of the Conservatives' highly touted

program of reviewing hazardous chemicals.

 

The government also decided to conduct more study on butane, a substance often

used in hair sprays and deodorants.

 

The chemical program led to last year's decision to place bisphenol A on the

country's toxic substances list, a move that made Canada the first country in

the world to take action against the hormone-mimicking chemical used to make

polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and the resins lining the insides of tin

cans.

 

Shortly after declaring BPA toxic, the federal government, without explanation,

delayed assessments on about 50 other potentially hazardous chemicals.

 

There were rumours that federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice was blocking

further announcements from the program. But with the announcement in the

Gazette, which is available on a government website, it appears the chemical

review process is once again moving ahead.

 

The Canadian Cancer Society issued a statement Friday, saying it was “pleased”

that the review “seems to be back on track,” but it reserved comment on the

government's evaluations of the substances until it has time to make an

appraisal of Ottawa's actions.

 

Federal scientists reviewed 18 potentially harmful substances, according to the

Gazette, and proposed that only diethyl sulphate warranted a toxic designation,

a step that allows the government to pass regulations to control and reduce its

use.

 

But it did flag butane and isobutane for further assessment. Both chemicals have

been classified as carcinogens by the European Commission when they contain

another chemical, butadiene, as an impurity in concentrations of more than 0.1

per cent.

 

Butane is widely used as a fuel additive, but it can also be found in air

fresheners, cleaners and cosmetic products, such as hair sprays, according to

information about the chemical posted by the government on its website. No

specific consumer products were listed by brand name or manufacturer.