“We’re not waiting to take action to protect our people and our environment from the long-term effects of bisphenol-a,” the environment minister, John Baird, told a news conference, where he displayed an array of baby bottles made from plastics that do not use the material.

The health minister, Tony Clement, told reporters that after reviewing 150 research papers and conducting its own studies, his department concluded that children up to the age of 18 months were at the most risk from the chemical. Mr. Clement said that animal studies suggested “behavioral and neural symptoms later in life.”

Potentially unsafe exposure levels are far lower for children than for adults, Mr. Clement said, and he and Mr. Baird both said that adults who use plastic containers made with the chemical were not at risk.

“For the average Canadian consuming things in those products, there is no risk today,” Mr. Clement said.

Photo

He said that the government was also concerned about the use of BPA in coatings inside infant formula cans, but did not act because no practical alternative is now available. The government, he said, will work with formula and packaging industries on that issue.

The government has begun monitoring the exposure of 5,000 people to the chemical. If that study, to be completed in 2009, indicates a danger to adults, the toxic designation will allow the government to take additional action swiftly, according to government officials who, following official practice, spoke on the condition they not be identified.

The government said that its review found that even low levels of the chemical can harm fish and other aquatic life over time, and that low levels are present in waste water.

Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.

Canada’s move drew praise from environmentalists. “I have nothing but congratulations for the government today,” said Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence, who has long criticized the use of BPA. “This sends a clear message to the plastics industry that it needs to start reformulating its products.”

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

But in Washington, Steven G. Hentges, the head of the American Chemical Council’s polycarbonate group, told reporters in a teleconference: “We do not think that bans on bisphenol-a are based on science.”

Shannon Jenest, a spokeswoman for Philips Avent, which makes bottles from polycarbonate and other materials, said she “wouldn’t see us challenging” the Canadian health department.

But Gemma Zecchini, senior vice president of public policy for Food and Consumer Products of Canada, whose members include the bottle makers Nestlé Gerber and Playtex, said her group would most likely ask the government to avoid an outright ban.

Ms. Zecchini acknowledged, however, that the market might already have outrun the Canadian government.

Most of Canada’s major retailers, including the Canadian units of Wal-Mart and Sears, have rushed to remove food-related BPA products from their stores. The country’s largest druggist, Shoppers Drug Mart, took the step at its 1,080 stores on Friday.

Senator Schumer said in an interview that he was prompted to act by the Canadian announcement and a report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services this week, which endorsed a scientific panel’s finding that there was “some concern” about the health effects of the chemical.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said. “There are alternatives.” Senator Schumer added that his bill would give industry a substantial amount of time to switch to other plastics.