Does Canada do enough to regulate toxic chemicals?
Nearly half a century after Rachel Carson’s exposé of the lethal potential of pesticides in “Silent Spring”, controversy still rages about the toxic cocktails we eat, breathe, drink and bathe in. In the recently released consumer classic, Slow Death by Rubber Duck, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie show that people rapidly absorb toxic chemicals from even two days’ exposure to typical consumer products. Heating food in “microwave safe” containers; using air fresheners or scented shampoos; preheating a nonstick pan; eating seven meals of tuna – all of these resulted in immediate and dramatic increases in their body burden of toxics. And many soft plastic toys, such as the eponymous rubber duck, release phthalates, chemicals associated with genital abnormalities in males. People absorb these chemicals with frightening ease, through our lungs, skin and food. Does it matter? It’s not clear. Environmental Defense and other activist groups have repeatedly proven that volunteers across Canada have
