FACTBOX: Key facts on baby bottle chemical bisphenol A

(Reuters) - Here are the main facts about the chemical bisphenol A, used in polycarbonate baby bottles that Canada said on Friday it planned to ban.

* Bisphenol A is used to make polycarbonate plastic and the epoxy resin linings of food and drinks containers. It is also used in medical devices, dental sealants, ice hockey helmets, adhesives and shatter-resistant glass.

* Containers made from polycarbonate plastic are marked with the recycling symbol 7 PC

* Canada estimates that annual world production in 2003 was three million metric tons.

* Ottawa says newborns and infants could suffer developmental problems if exposed to the chemical.

* Defenders of the chemical say a consumer would have to ingest more than 1,300 pounds of food and drink that had been in contact with polycarbonate every day for a lifetime to exceed the safe level of bisphenol A set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren)