Canadian health officials announced on Friday that the polycarbonate bisphenol-A (BPA) has been officially declared toxic and it is likely that the country will introduce a complete ban on manufacture of BPA-containing baby bottles within a year.

The announcement comes just days after a report by the U.S. National Institutes of Health revealed that BPA might be harmful to the development of children’s brains and reproductive organs. Moreover, the chemical was described as “weakly estrogenic” being suspected of having biological effects on other hormonal processes such as those involving androgens and thyroid hormones.

Bisphenol A is a synthetic hormone that has been shown to leach out of a certain type of plastic when heated, endangering the health of consumers. Hard polycarbonate plastic is used in baby bottles, toddler cups, water bottles and other recipients.

Following the U.S. report, Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement said on Friday his country intends to become the first to ban the import and sale of some types of plastic baby bottles because they contain BPA. He expressed concern that overexposure at an early age could cause later behavioral and neurological symptoms.

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

Canada’s intention to ban baby products containing BPA is not singular. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, issued a statement on Thursday saying it plans to offer more BPA-free products and intends to stop selling baby bottles made with BPA early next year.

“Safety is a top priority for Wal-Mart. While the FDA has not established any restrictions on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles, for several years now we have offered a variety of BPA-free products for customers who seek this option. We are working to expand our BPA-free offerings and expect the entire assortment of baby bottles to be BPA-free sometime early next year,” the company said in a statement.

Also, Rochester, New York-based bottle maker Nalgene said on Friday it will phase out production of bottles made with BPA. “Based on all available scientific evidence, we continue to believe that Nalgene products containing BPA are safe for their intended use. However, our customers indicated they preferred BPA-free alternatives, and we acted in response to those concerns,” a company official said in a statement.

Other U.S. states considering bills to ban or restrict BPA in children’s products include California, Maryland, Minnesota and Michigan.