The federal government is moving to add PFA, a class of thousands of chemicals used in a wide range of products, from food containers to clothing, to the official list of toxic substances, in the light of the growing scientific and public concern about substances in Canada and worldwide.
PFA, or per- and polyfluoroalquilo substances, are man-made chemicals used for their water-resistant and heat properties. They are widely used in many daily products, such as packaging, cosmetics and textiles, together with industrial uses such as water repellent coatings and fire extinction foam.
They are often known as “chemical products forever”, PFAs have also been increasingly related to human health problems, such as increasing cancer risk and causing reproductive problems. The same qualities that make them useful also make them very persistent in the environment, accumulating in water sources, animals and eventually human bodies.
The Government published its final report of the PFAS, which details where and how chemicals are used in Canada and their impact on people and health.
“What we are doing has no precedents, that we would use Canada’s Environmental Protection Law so as not to look at a substance … but to look at the whole family [of chemicals]. It has never been done before, “said the Minister of Environment, Steven Guilbeault in Montreal.
Today’s announcement will not immediately prohibit any new PFAS, but a process will begin to restrict them in the future. The Government has begun a 60 -day consultation period required before adding PFA to the list of toxic substances. Once the chemicals are added to the list, the government will begin a gradual plan to regulate and restrict them.
First, the government says it will consider restricting the PFA in fire extinguishing foams. Then, it will analyze the PFA in cosmetics, medications without presses, food containers, textiles and certain construction materials, cleaning products and waxes and enamels.
Addressing the generalized use of these chemicals has become a global concern due to the amount of substances to which humans have already been exposed.
Researchers have found types of PFA in fish trapped from water bodies through North America; In the air, rain and water Of the great lakes; in makeup, paper packaging, female hygiene products; and clothing, such as school uniforms, rain jackets and winter gloves for children.
As a result, almost all Canadians and Americans have PFA in their bodies.
The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault announced Wednesday that the Federal Government is proposing that the PFAs are added to the list of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Law. When asked why Ottawa has not moved faster to ban these substances, Guilbeault said the government is “trying to go as quickly as possible within the limits of laws and regulations.”
The European Union Executive Agency has proposed a prohibition On the use of PFA in consumer products, with possible exemptions for some industrial uses.
But in North America, efforts to regulate chemicals have suffered a setback. The new administration of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has removed the high PFA limits proposed for industries.
“It is true that the US administration is returning to some of those commitments. But the good news is that there are several states of the United States that maintain their laws and regulations on these substances,” Guilbeault said, and added that he will work with those states and other countries in a common approach to address PFA.
