Last week, Canada made the dramatic move of declaring bisphenol A (better known as BPA) toxic. The Globe and Mail reported this in an Oct 13 article, Canada first to declare bisphenol A toxic:

"Canada has become the first jurisdiction in the world to declare the everyday plastic-making compound bisphenol A to be toxic, an action that, while hailed by environmentalists, is shining a spotlight on the major use of the chemical in nearly all food and beverage cans sold in the country."

On the same day, Macleans published Canada first in the world to rule BPA toxic, which reported:

"BPA has become a health concern because it is able to mimic estrogen, leading to concern that it could cause cancers and other illnesses linked to having excessive amounts of the female hormone. Experiments with animals have found it to be biologically active, many using exposures in the range to which humans are subject to. According to federal reviews, nearly all Canadians are exposed to trace amounts of the chemical."

The New York Times also reported the story, placing it in an international context in the story, Canada declares BPA, a chemical in plastics, to be toxic:

"The compound, commonly known as BPA, has been shown to disrupt the hormone systems of animals and is under review in the United States and Europe. Canada’s move, which was strenuously fought by the chemical industry, followed an announcement by the government two years ago that it would eliminate the compound’s use in polycarbonate bottles used by infants and children."

There are plenty of BPA-free containers to choose from, including glass and stainless steel varieties. Brita pitchers are also a good choice. Brita's Director of Marketing Tim Pellerin guarantees their safety. "Our pitchers and filters are 100 per cent BPA-free," he says. "That was a conscious decision on Brita's part at the outset." Check out 4 more BPA-free water pitchers and bottles here. Are you concerned about BPA? How do you feel about the government declaring it toxic?