Evidence is mounting regarding the potential harmful effects of bisphenol-A — commonly referred to as BPA — used to harden plastic in food and beverage containers.

Container and food/beverage manufacturers are moving slowly to replace the chemical. The federal government is moving even slower.

Filling the void, states and even some municipalities, have enacted bans on the chemical in products used for children, who are most vulnerable. Canada has already banned BPA in baby bottles.

Illinois should join Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, Washington and Chicago in banning BPA in containers intended for infants and young children.

Two bills to enact such a ban are pending and may come up for a vote as soon as today. They deserve our lawmakers’ support.

House Bill 6088, introduced by state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Des Plaines, and Senate Bill 3750, introduced by state Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Mount Prospect, would ban any reusable children’s food or beverage container — including baby bottles and sippy cups — that contain BPA if they are designed or marketed for use by children age 3 or younger.

That ban would take effect June 1, 2011.

A ban on selling or distributing infant formula or baby food in a can, jar or plastic container with BPA would take effect June 1, 2015.

The ban focuses on infants and young children because they are considered the most vulnerable to the potentially toxic effects of BPA. Bisphenol-A mimics estrogen and studies have shown it can interfere with development and because their immune systems are less developed for detoxifying chemicals.

The American Chemistry Council claims the level of exposure is inadequate to cause significant health concerns and said studies haven’t found a cause-and-effect relationship between BPA and health problems.

However, the Food and Drug Administration in January reversed an earlier stand and expressed concern about the safety of BPA but said it could not regulate it under current guidelines. It is pursuing further studies, along with the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Department of Health and Human Services.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Servivces has issued an informational bulletin for parents listing what it calls “reasonable steps … to minimize exposure to BPA.”

A number of companies already have turned to available alternatives and some major retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Toys R Us, have stopped selling baby bottles with BPA.

We commend these private businesses for taking such steps. But, in the absence of swifter federal action, Illinois should move forward with a statewide ban on BPA in products intended for babies and young children.