With the release of a new
report from Environment Canada and Health Canada on “forever chemicals,” which are deemed harmful to humans and the environment, the federal government has launched a 60-day
public comment period and indicated it will consider imposing regulations or other controls to limit people’s exposure to these substances and products that contain them.
“Only diamonds should be forever – not human-made substances that are polluting our environment,”
tweeted Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on May 19, when the report was released. “We are taking a precautionary approach to better manage the whole class of forever chemicals.”
These chemicals, which are
found in everyday products such as food packaging, cosmetics, and clothing and have a practically
unbreakable compound, are created when the elements carbon and fluorine are fused. They are considered “forever” because they’re difficult if not impossible to remove.
While even compostable takeout containers and other paper food packaging may contain the chemicals, the government has
indicated it intends to gather “information to identify and prioritize options for minimizing exposure to PFAS from other sources and products.”
The May 19 report, titled “Draft State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Report,” examined the impact of PFAS, a large group of over 4,700 human-made substances used in consumer products as well as industrial products and specialized applications such as certain firefighting foams.
The report said a number of subpopulations have been identified as having potential for greater exposure to PFAS. Northern indigenous communities, indigenous youth and children in other parts of Canada, as well as firefighters were found to have “elevated levels of certain PFAS.”
PFAS are used in a broad range of products because they are water- and oil-repellent and resistant to heat and degradation. Besides food packaging, cosmetics, and clothing, PFAS can be found in carpets, furniture, non-stick cookware, certain firefighting foams, surfactants, lubricants, and repellents for dirt, water, and grease.
The report said these chemicals are also used in medical devices, mechanical parts, and chemical processing equipment.
Food Packaging
Following Canada’s
ban on the import and manufacture of hard-to-recycle plastic foodservice ware, which began last year and
came into effect on Dec. 20, 2022, more businesses in the restaurant industry have moved to paper containers and wrappers. However, some of these alternatives have also been found to contain PFAS, which are used to make the packaging
grease-resistant.
According to the report, it’s prohibited to sell food in packaging that could transfer a harmful chemical to the food.
“It is possible that single-use plastic food takeout containers and straws may be replaced by paper alternatives that may contain PFAS treatments,” the report said.
A
study published on March 28 said that several other studies, including one from Canada, have documented the widespread use of PFAS in food packaging. The study said that after the government banned single-use plastics, the use of PFAS in food packaging like “compostable” bowls was a “regrettable substitution of trading one harmful option for another.”
“PFAS are inherently persistent, and many are mobile, bioaccumulative, and/or toxic. As such, their use in food packaging could represent a significant issue in terms of direct human exposure and end-of-life environmental pollution,” said the study.
The study said it found the highest amount of PFAS in molded, “compostable” bowls. It was also prevalent in
microwave popcorn bags.
Health Risks
The report suggests that forever chemicals have
health risks including higher incidence of kidney and testicular cancer, infertility, and potential adverse effects on the liver, kidney, thyroid, immune system, nervous system, and metabolism and bodyweight.
Environment Canada has previously designated some specific chemicals belonging to the PFAS family as “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Europe and some U.S. states are already regulating the use of PFAS or some products.
“We need to turn off the tap on all PFAS. It’s the only way to get off this contamination path,” said Cassie Barker, a spokeswoman for
Environmental Defence, an advocacy group with goals of “clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.”
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, meanwhile, says it’s initiating a process to implement an interim standard for PFAS-contaminated biosolids sold in Canada as commercial fertilizers, requiring them to contain less than 50 parts per billion of a chemical in the PFAS class called perflurooctanesulfonic acid, according to a May 19
news release.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
