Carry your water in...plastic?

Having visited Honduras and China, I appreciate our tap water. It's comparatively safe. And water is guiltless, painless, side-effect-less. Or it should be. Bottled water is the second most purchased beverage in America, after pop (not soda). I try not to purchase bottled water. I already pay for the water from my tap and it tastes great. But being , American, we have the luxury to spend time studying, analyzing and debating the best way to carry that water. Okay, maybe you don't have time, but I do and will share what I learned.

Let's start with the containers that bottled water is sold in. Most are made of a hard plastic called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET bottles are approved for one time use. After repeated use, these gas station bottles leach DEHP (Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate)  a probable carcinogen.  Plus, once your mouth touches the bottle, it leaves a bacteria-harboring film that can't be cleaned from all the crevices. Throw these bottles away and don't reuse them.

Next? Reusable plastic water bottles--hard plastic bottles, like Nalgene. Nalgene and similar plastic containers are made from a plastic called polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a hard, clear , almost-shatter-proof plastic used in water bottles, baby bottles, medical devices, toys, electronics, CD cases, and on and on. Polycarbonate contains bisphenol( BPA) . The CDC has reported that 95% of Americans have detectable amounts of BPA. BPA presents little threat if the plastic doesn't hold food or go in the mouth (like baby toys). Vreni Gurd of the website Trusted.MD, explains the effects of BPA well, "Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes." Some of the studies about BPA have been done on rodents, less on humans.

In 2005, Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of peer-reviewed research, published the following:

Your body is extremely sensitive to sex hormones, and minuscule amounts can induce profound changes. Therefore, since BPA imitates the sex hormone estradiol, scientists are afraid even low levels of BPA could have a negative impact. Moreover, there is evidence (among mice and rats) low doses of BPA can cause:

• Hyperactivity
• Early puberty
• Increased fat formation
• Abnormal sexual behavior
• Disrupted reproductive cycles
• Structural damage to the brain

Of the 115 published studies researchers reviewed on the low-dose effects of BPA, 94 of them reported harmful effects on mice and rats; 21 did not.
Coincidentally, none of the 11 studies funded by chemical companies found harmful effects caused by BPA, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported is detected in 95 percent of all patients tested. On the other hand, more than 90 percent of the studies conducted by scientists not associated with the chemical industry [text in blue] discovered negative consequences.

The above was published  in 2005. No studies since then have contradicted the suspicions about the negative effects of BPA. Consumer concerns have already driven many companies to label plastic food or beverage containers as BPA-free when it applies, but there are no laws. Just yesterday, the National Institutes of Health announced a $30-million study on the effect of low dosage exposure to BPA. The money is mostly from stimulus funds. At the end of November, the FDA is expected to release its own assessment on the dangers of BPA. 

Currently, the FDA says our exposure to BPA is not concerning. In my mind, BPA has a big question mark on it and should be avoided for food and beverage containers.

Polycarbonate water bottles made the news last year  because research published in the January 2008 issue of Toxicology Letters reported that polycarbonate water bottles leach bisphenol (BPA). Trace amounts of BPA leach into water at room temperature, but if hot water fills these bottles, there is a  55% increase in the amount of leeching BPA (especially concerning regarding baby bottles which are regularly filled with warm or hot water for formula).

In the last few years, many companies, like Nalgene, are making high -density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles. These bottles are opaque plastic made from petroleum. Scientists and health advocates have not reported any BPA problems with HDPE bottles.  

Those plastic recycling numbers can help you stay safe. Always avoid #7 as it may contain BPA. Number 7 plastics are usually polycarbonate, once used in plastic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, "sport" water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic "sippy" cups and some clear plastic cutlery. New bio-based plastics may also be labeled #7.

Here's a ditty from The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to help you make safe choices:

"With your food, use 4, 5, 1 and 2. All the rest aren't good for you."

I like the ditty though #1 plastics are only approved for one time use. On a more basic level, most of the hard, inflexible plastics in your cabinet that aren't labeled and claim to be safe for microwaving--those are the # 7. When polycarbonate plastics get scratched or damaged they are considered especially dangerous. Most of the disposable plastic containers like Gladware are #5. Number 5 is safe, though I still wouldn't put them in the microwave. Use glass in the microwave.

I should note that BPA is also found in Styrofoam (think of all the HOT beverage served in Styrofoam). It is also found in the lining of most metal cans (so buy food in glass when possible-especially for acidic foods like tomatoes--yet another reason I should start canning).

Where do you find BPA-free plastic? Several popular companies like Nalgene and Rubbermaid have BPA -free lines. Tupperware brand continues to follow the government, saying that the FDA considers polycarbonate (a kind of plastic made with BPA) to be safe so they continue to use BPA in some lines, especially lines made for the microwave. Tupperware does not use BPA in lines made for children. And on the Parents.com website I found a list of BPA-free bottles and sippy cups.

While this post ended up focusing on BPA, remember that in choosing a water bottle, no material is safe if it can't be cleaned well. Therefore, a personal water bottle should have a wide mouth opening so you can clean it well.

And just to be clear, while I think BPA is something to avoid, I am not going to stop buying canned goods or refusing every beverage in a styrofoam cup. As with all health issues, I think we need to be reasonable and gracious to others who don't share our knowledge or maybe our concern. I can't stand it when people use every picnic as an opportunity to arrogantly declare,
"Oh I don't drink out of Styrofoam cups. It isn't safe." Why not just punch the hostess instead? What I will do though is buy BPA-free plastics (glass is considered the safest way to store food), avoid Styrofoam more, throw away my damaged polycarbonate containers, and stop microwaving plastic (including the Saran Wrap type coverings).

A final, sad tip. Infant formula has the third highest level of BPA of the foods tested by the Environmental Working Group, The group noted that powdered formula has LESS BPA than the liquid counterpart.  

Next time: a review of non-plastic water bottles.
Sources:

http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2008/03/17/choosing-a-safe-reusable-water-bottle/
http://www.consumersearch.com/water-bottles/metal-water-bottles
http://www.ehow.com/how_5400385_buy-safe-metal-water-bottle.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-10-30-plastics-cover_N.htm
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/10/bottle-shock-4/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1722266,00.html
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/17/914073.aspx
http://www.ehow.com/about_5369079_different-kinds-plastic-bottles.html
http://www.plasticsindustry.org/aboutplastics/?navItemNumber=1008
http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-10-28-BPA-bisphenolA-federal-study_N.htm
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2005/7713/abstract.html
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/heart/2008/09/17/5-ways-to-keep-bisphenol-a-or-bpa-out-of-your-food.html