Canada To Ban Four Chemical Classes

Canada plans to take out of commerce four classes of chemicals because of environmental concerns. Environment Canada and Health Canada on July 23 proposed prohibiting the manufacture, use, or sale of the reaction products of N-phenylbenzenamine with styrene and 2,4,4-trimethylpentene. This mixture is used in lubricant oils. However, the proposal would grant a two-year reprieve from the ban to allow industry to find substitutes. Also targeted by the ban are short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which are used as plasticizers and flame retardants. The U.S. EPA is considering these substances for regulation. The Canadian proposal also would ban tributyl tins for uses other than as a pesticide to deter the growth of barnacles and other marine organisms on ships and boats. The fourth group of substances in the proposal is polychlorinated naphthalenes, commercial chemicals formerly widely manufactured but are now rarely used.