How Safe Is Your Water Bottle?
12 Feb
Could your water bottle be a danger to you?
Science Daily reports HERE that exposure to potentially harmful Bisphenol A (BPA) from polycarbonate plastic bottles is increased by the temperature of the liquid in the bottles, according to a University of Cincinnati study.
The colorful, hard plastic water bottles popular with paddlers and other outdoor enthusiasts are made with polycarbonate plastic.
The study showed that when similar new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles were exposed to boiling water, BPA was released into the water up to 55 times more rapidly than with cooler water.
Earlier research had focused on the age of the bottles.
Researcher Scott Belcher told Science Daily his research intended to test the containers based on the manner in which they were used by consumers. ” . . . we wanted to know if ‘normal’ use caused increased release from something that we all use, and to identify what was the most important factor that impacts release,” he said.
While a growing body of scientific evidence suggests BPA, an environmental estrogen, and other endocrine disruptors negatively impact the health of laboratory animals, the effect of BPA on humans is not clear.
Public oncern over BPA has been centered largely on plastic baby bottles, as in THIS Time.com story.
