Health Canada has announced new restrictions on the use of six phthalates in children's toys and products used in the care of children.

Phthalates are chemicals used to make a type of plastic called PVC (polyvinyl chloride) soft and flexible. They can be found in a wide range of consumer products, including toys, vinyl floors, vinyl fabrics, as well as soaps, paints, and product packaging.

Research has shown that phthalates have a number of health effects, including as endocrine disruptors, disrupting the reproductive hormone systems of children. The chemicals can also cause liver and kidney failure when large amounts are ingested.

Most toy manufacturers began phasing out phthalates years ago, but these new restrictions ensure a complete ban.

The new rules will limit the allowable concentrations of three phthalates -- DEHP, DBP and BBP -- to no more than 1,000 milligrams per kilogram (0.1 per cent) in all children's toys and products used in the care of children, such as bibs and baby bottles. 

They will also restrict the permitted concentrations of DINP, DIDP and DNOP to no more than 1,000 mg/kg in the same products that children under four years old might put in their mouths.

Health Canada says while the phthalates in most PVC does not constitute a health risk, phthalates can leach out of soft vinyl when the products are sucked or chewed, migrating into the body through the saliva and creating a health risk.

Health Canada advises parents to monitor their children's use of soft vinyl (PVC) products not specifically designed for sucking and chewing, such as vinyl bibs, and bath or inflatable toys. They should remove these products from the child's environment if they observe the child sucking or chewing on them.

The new restrictions will come into force on June 10, 2011.

"These new regulations will ensure products that are imported, sold or advertised in Canada do not present a risk of phthalate exposure to children and infants." Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement.

She added later at a news conference that, as a parent, "I want to have confidence in the products that I give my son to play with... I want to know that everything from the sippy cups to his bath toys are safe to play with."

Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, which has long campaigned against the use of phthalates, applauded the decision.

"Canada's Phthalates Regulations are now aligned with measures taken in the United States and the European Union and will ensure our children receive the same high level of protection." he said in a statement.

The government announced plans for these restrictions in 2009. Smith says in the interim, most manufacturers brought in their own voluntary phthalate bans.

"Manufacturers and importers have clearly gotten the message. The writing has been on the while for this chemical for a while," Smith said.

"So what's happening today is really the final nail in the coffin."

Smith says caregivers shopping for new kids' toys will often find the toys have labels that note they contain no phthalates.

"What parents should be most concerned about is hand-me-downs, so if you've got old bath toys kicking around, make sure they don't contain phthalates. If it doesn't say ‘no phthalates' on the toy, chances are it does contain phthalates and I would buy a new rubber duck," Smith said.