Baby bottles, plastic toys and other children's products made with potentially toxic chemicals would be banned from shelves in New Jersey stores under proposed legislation.

The measure would put New Jersey in the company of California and many European countries that have already banned phthalates, chemicals that can leach out of plastic products. But the New Jersey law would take a step further by also outlawing the chemical bisphenol A.

The chemicals - which are used in the manufacture of plastic toys, teethers, bottles and other products - have been linked to birth defects and other health problems in animals. While there is no research documenting health effects in humans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says traces of bisphenol A can be found in the urine of 93 percent of the population, with higher concentrations found in children than adults.

The federal Food and Drug Administration said last month that the chemicals are safe the way they are currently used. Manufacturers also contend their products are safe.

But many states are moving to ban the products, acknowledging emerging concerns over the buildup of industrial chemicals in humans, particularly young children. Scientists are especially concerned that bisphenol A can mimic estrogen, possibly disrupting the hormonal system, altering the normal workings of genes and contributing to breast cancer, diabetes and infertility.

"We know that we can stop toxins from being added here in New Jersey in an effort to move along the national debate,'' said Rebekah Scotland, legislative associate with New Jersey Public Interest Research Group, which supports the ban.

California banned phthalates last year. Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and other states are considering similar bans. In 2005, the European Union, which traditionally has taken a more aggressive approach to consumer safety, outlawed six different kinds of phthalates.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Fort Lee, who sponsored the bill with Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, said manufacturers can easily replace the chemicals in question and make potentially safer products.

"With safe alternatives currently available to replace these toxic chemicals, we are needlessly putting our children's health at risk," Weinberg said. "New Jersey legislators need to send a clear message that safety is an expectation, not a matter of choice."

The American Chemistry Council, however, believes the products are safe.

"The safety of bisphenol A has been evaluated by numerous scientific and government bodies around the world," said Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council. "All of those evaluations support the conclusion that bisphenol A is not a risk to human health, in particular at the very low levels found in consumer products such as baby bottles."

Phthalates are added to plastic to increase its flexibility, for instance making a hard plastic teether soft enough for a baby to chew on. Bisphenol A is most often used in the linings of cans for soups, beans, soft drinks and in the manufacture of baby bottles.

Children are exposed to the chemicals when they suck or chew on the toys, bottles, teethers, rubber ducks, spoons, bibs and other products. In many cases, it is impossible for consumers to know whether the items have these chemicals.

As the ban took effect in Europe in 2005, groups found levels of phthalates in Barbie, Spiderman and other toys. Earlier this year, a study released by environmental groups in the United States and Canada found that popular brands of baby bottles - Avent, Disney/The First Years, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex - leached bisphenol A when heated. Even when the bottles weren't heated, the study found the plastic wears down after repeated use and could also leach the chemical.

That study has spurred a resurgence of glass baby bottles in the United States.

Some retailers are already taking action.

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