Many health authorities and organizations are asking if certain plastic water bottles are safe to use and re-use. This rising angst that's emerged in recent years stems from a plastic material called polycarbonate, a thermoplastic polymer that is known to release a potentially harmful chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) into liquids and food products. While still under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA's current position on the topic is that polycarbonate plastic containers--such as some water and baby bottles-- are still safe to use.
What is Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A is a man-made chemical labeled as an endocrine disruptor. It is a chemical that alters the function of the endocrine system by mimicking the role of the body's natural hormones. The chemical has been linked to breast cancer and alteration in brain function when consumed in high doses.
According to a study done by a team University of Cincinnati researchers, BPA leaches into food and liquids at the same rate whether a polycarbonate container is old or new. The study also found that when polycarbonate plastics are heated to boiling temperatures (such is sometimes the case for baby bottles) BPA is released into food 15 to 55 times faster.
What's Being Done Nsow?
Currently the FDA and other international agencies, such as Health Canada, are continuing to investigate the effects of low dosage BPA into the human body. The most prominent concern is directed at infants whose immune system and brain functions are still developing and who would be put in most jeopardy.
On April 14, 2008 the FDA formed an agency-wide BPA (Bisphenol A) task force to evaluate current information and studies about FDA on all its regulated products. The organization maintains that the chemical in low dosages is still safe to consumers and poses no apparent threat.
Tips to Avoid BPA
According to an article published by the Environmental Networking Group (ENG), it's improbable to avoid BPA entirely. However, there are ways to limit exposure to yourself or your child.
1. Hard plastics such as the famous Nalgene bottles used by hikers and climbers are made out of polycarbonate plastics. To avoid exposure use a water container made out of a different type of plastic or different material. The ENG website recommends avoiding using plastics with the number 7 recycling label on it. They recommend using plastic containers with 1, 2 and 4 recycling labels as they contain no polycarbonate materials.
2. For babies, choosing a glass baby bottle--instead of a plastic one--will significantly reduce exposure to BPA. If you are feeding a baby formula ENG suggests avoiding all formula containers made out of metal because of the plastic lining that leaches BPA into the product. Glass containers or powdered formulas should be used instead.
3. Finally, If you insist on using a polycarbonate plastic container try to avoid filling it with a hot liquid that will drastically increase the amount of BPA leached into your beverage.
Differing Opinions
Since there are so many companies and manufacturers that use BPA releasing plastics the issue is a very controversial one. If there is a concrete link found between child development and BPA or with human it could hail the end of some companies. Canada is already investigating passing more stringent legislation that would ban low-dosage BPA releasing products.
Potential Concerns
Lastly, another significant reason why people are concerned with the toxicity of BPA is because of how far reaching it is. According to a 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) out of the 2517 different urine samples they screened for BPA 93 percent of them came back positive. Their findings are representative of the whole U.S. population. This causes some health officials to worry because some animal studies show that BPA effects fetuses and newborns negatively.
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