Last night, as I was filling up my water bottle, my flat mate’s girlfriend told me that it’s VERY BAD to re-use water bottles because they disintegrate and the chemicals can seriously affect your health. I told her that was nonsense. No No, Her DOCTOR told her that re-using water bottles was bad. Um, seriously kid, go read scientific magazines and articles and get your facts straight. I’m sure you misunderstood your doctor. If you did not misunderstand him then I'd be worried about going to him...
So, in an effort to clarify the issue I went and did some research. I was quite sure I had read recently some articles regarding plastic bottles and the health problems apparently linked to them. And I was indeed on the right track. Let me explain:
The girlfriend was actually indirectly referring to a chemical known as BPA, which stands for bisphenol-A.
First synthesized in 1891, BPA came into use as a synthetic estrogen in the 1930s. Later, chemists discovered that, combined with phosgene (used during World War I as a toxic gas) and other compounds, BPA yielded the clear, polycarbonate plastic that is these days used to manufacture shatter-resistant headlights, eyeglass lenses, DVDs reusable rigid containers and baby bottles.
However, during the manufacturing process, not all BPA gets locked into chemical bonds. That residual BPA can work itself free, especially when the plastic is heated, whether it’s a Nalgene bottle in the dishwasher, a food container in the microwave, or a test tube being sterilized in an autoclave.
In recent years dozens of scientists around the globe have linked BPA to myriad health effects in rodents: mammary and prostate cancer, genital defects in males, early onset of puberty in females, obesity and even behavior problems such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. In RODENTS! I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked I was not a rat.
Of course, these findings resulted in people misunderstanding the findings and spouting that water bottles are bad for you. Enter the girlfriend.
Although experts debate whether mice make good models for human effects, the crux of the argument over BPA is that experimental results have not been reproduced. Admittedly more studies are required and since BPA has been found in urine and breast milk we should indeed be somewhat concerned. And more research is required of course.
And now for the grand reveal!
Turn around your water bottles and you will notice that they are labeled in the triangle as “1”. This means that they are made from PET. The polycarbonate products containing BPA are labeled “7” in recycling terms.
So sweetie pie, PET is NOT polycarbonate plastic. It does NOT contain BPA. Therefore it won’t affect you and you can re-use your water bottle over and over and over again. Of course I do recommend you toss it into the recycling bin after a while, as you will backwash and stuff will start growing in it.
On a side note: you may encounter bottles labeled “7”. However, the recycling symbol “7” is a catch-all category that also includes other plastic and bio-resins that do not contain BPA.
For more reading from REPUTABLE sources:
Ha ha ha! NICE!
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