The federal government is expected to add bisphenol A, the widely used ingredient in polycarbonate plastic, to the country's list of toxic substances as early as this weekend, according to a Globe and Mail report.
In doing so, Canada will become the first country in the world to take such aggressive action against the controversial chemical.
The decision, made by scientists at Health Canada and Environment Canada, follows a draft proposal unveiled in April to declare hazardous the chemical, used in everything from tin cans to carbonless paper cash register receipts and plastic bottles.
Scientists are concerned about BPA, as the chemical is also known, because it can mimic the hormone estrogen, and may disrupt biological processes controlled by the female hormone.
Trace amounts of the chemical are able to leach out of consumer products, such as plastic water bottles, creating widespread exposures.
