Health Canada has amended the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) to establish a new prohibition on products that are made, in whole or in part, of polyurethane foam that contains tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and that are intended for a child under three years of age. Typical PUF-containing products include toys and child care products, such as sleep positioners and nursing pillows.
In its notice, Health Canada elaborated, children's PUF products that contain the chlorinated flame retardant have the potential to cause harmful effects in children under three, particularly from mouthing behavior.
In considering the prohibition, Health Canada conducted two rounds of sampling and testing for TCEP in a variety of PUF products. In its first round of testing, 14 sofas, four mattresses, 10 children's products, including toys, four acoustical panels and the seat from a car were tested for the presence of TCEP. The chemical was found in four of the sofas, the seat from the car and two children's products, a PUF book and a sleep positioner, which contained 13,000 ppm and 21,000 ppm of TCEP, respectively.
The prohibition will enter into force in six months.
Health Canada joins a number of other global jurisdictions in assessing TCEP, including the American states of Maryland, New York and Vermont, each of which has enacted restrictions and/ or prohibitions on TCEP. The states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina and Washington, and the federal Congress, have each also proposed such legislation. The European Union's (EU) Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) has also recently concluded that exposure to TCEP from toys cannot be considered safe and the use of TCEP should be avoided in all toys, not just those for children under three.
For more on the Canadian prohibition, or on the global approach to TCEP, Ask Our Experts!
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