New concerns about water bottles

Lately, the concern about water bottles has been over the waste that they produce, but now the focus is turning on the bottle itself. Due to the emerging push toward reusing water bottles to cut down on the waste generated by single-use bottled water, people began buying reusable water bottles. Now studies are starting to indicate an alarming amount of a substance called bisphenol A (BPA), that is in the plastics themselves, is transferring to the water in the bottle.

Most plastic bottles on the market that contain soda or water are made of a hard plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. These bottles are indicated with a 1 inside of the recycling symbol on the bottle. These are perfectly safe for single use chemically, as they do not contain BPA. However, the concern is that the narrow mouth of the bottle itself lends to an area that can harbor bacteria, is hard to clean, and should not be reused.

Some reusable bottles are made of polycarbonate. These contain BPA and are usually indicated with a 7 in the recycling symbol on the bottle. Bisphenol A is a synthetic hormone that mimics estrogen. Trace amounts of BPA have been found to seep into room-temperature water. However, if that water is heated, the BPA can be released up to 55 times as fast.

Scientists have suggested that BPA can cause damage to the reproductive systems when consumed excessively. More studies are being conducted to determine the safety of these plastic bottles that contain BPA.

For more information there is an independent company that has established a helpful website that explains each of the recycling numbers. It can be found at www.iatp.org.

References:

• “Freshen Up Your Drink” Time. March 13, 2008
• Today. NBC. April 9, 2008

Eric Cambell, PharmD Candidate