The largest outdoor-goods chain retailer in Canada, Mountain Equipment Co-op, pulled water bottles and food containers made of polycarbonate plastic from its shelves over worries about the chemical bisphenol A. The chemical has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems in animals, according to an article on MSNBC.
Some research in North American has shown the chemical can cause several types of cancer as well as developmental, neural, behavioral and reproductive harm in animals. This is because the chemical can mimic the effects of the hormone estrogen in cells.
This chemical might sound familiar since it was in the news this past week as being used in baby bottles and the lining of some food cans including most major brands of infant formula. That came from a study co-released last week by Environmental Defence Canada and the Washington-based Environmental Working Group.While the US FDA says there is no problem, Japanese manufacturers decided voluntarily to stop making products using polycarbonate plastic five to six years ago. Norway and the European Union are also reviewing the chemical.
