OTTAWA, Canada — Canada is looking to expand its ban on phthalates in kids' products to include more items, following on a similar ban enacted in the United States.

Since 1998 Canada has banned six chemicals knows as phthalates, which are used to make plastic soft and flexible, from products intended for children to put in their mouth. Health Canada is proposing to extend that ban to products that kids might chew on, like bibs and toys.

The U.S. recently enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which bans phthalates except in very small amounts from products intended for kids age 12 and under to play with, and only for parts accessible to children. The U.S. phthalates ban also includes sleeping, feeding and teething items for kids age 3 and under, a category that includes pacifiers, sippy cups and crib mattresses.

The U.S. law also set new, lower lead limits for the same categories of products, and Health Canada is hoping to limit lead content in items for kids under age 3 as well.

California's Expanding Toxin List

This month California proposed adding 30 chemicals to its list of toxic chemicals knows to cause cancer and reproductive harm. The list, a result of Proposition 65, is published annually and meant to warn consumers about harmful substances. Chemicals listed are also banned from being discharged into drinking water sources.

Chemicals in the latest update include styrene (a principal ingredient in many plastic and foam products), household pesticide carbaryl, tert-amyl methyl ether (a common gasoline additive) and the phenoxy herbicides, which are widely found in consumer weed killer products.

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