Life Ranger
12-01-2006, 08:38 AM
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=873
Searching for simple and practical ways to live sustainably? Want to be part of the solution? Looking to create a safer world for yourself and your family?
Plastic Bottles
In the Winter 2004 issue, Yes! But How? stated that the Good Bottle by Marilyn Farms does not leach chemicals. I ordered some and found that they look to be the same as the Nalgene #7 bottle made of harmful lexan polycarbonate. I would like to be able to find a bottle that does not contain harmful plastics. Please help sort this out.
At the time the Winter 2004 issue went to press, we were unaware of a study that casts doubt on the safety of polycarbonate bottles. The Good Bottle is made of polycarbonate, although Marilyn Farms stands by the safety of its bottles.
The study, published by Dr. Patricia Hunt in the April 2003 issue of Current Biology, reports that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) causes a chromosomal abnormality in the oocytes or egg cells of female mice. Polycarbonate plastic is manufactured with BPA.
In her study, Hunt, a geneticist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, detected a chromosomal error in cell division known as aneuploidy. Other researches linked aneuploidy to spontaneous miscarriages and birth defects in humans.
The Bisphenol A Global Industry Group of the American Plastics Council, the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association, however, dispute Hunt's findings, especially on how it applies to human reproduction or development. They claim the reproductive and development effects were not examined in Hunt's study and the experimental system used has not been validated or standardized for the evaluation of reproductive effects. They instead point to two multi-generation studies that specifically investigated the reproductive or developmental effects of BPA. The studies, one by the Research Triangle Institute and the other by the Japanese National Institute of Health Sciences, reported that BPA did not cause reproductive or development effects at any environmentally relevant dose.
At best, research on BPA is far from definitive. In the meantime, it is wise to minimize your use of plastics, as all plastics break down over time, and so have the potential to leach chemicals.
To minimize your use of plastics, we suggest the following:
• Exchange that plastic bottle at your office desk for a glass.
• Never microwave anything in a plastic container.
• When you need a portable container, try alternatives to plastics, especially for hot or acidic drinks. Thermoses with stainless steel or ceramic interiors may be too bulky for hiking, but could be used for your commute or car-camping.
• When you must use plastics, choose #2 high-density polyethylene (HDPE), #4 low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and #5 polypropylene (PP). These types of plastics are not known to leach harmful chemicals. Avoid #3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC), #6 polystyrene (PS), and, according to Hunt's study, #7 polycarbonate. Plastic bottles made from #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) are for single, not multiple use.
• When you do use plastic water bottles, store them away from heat. Hand wash them with mild detergent and rinse well. Never expose bottles to harsh chemicals, such as bleach, in cleaning.
Michelle Burkhart
Searching for simple and practical ways to live sustainably? Want to be part of the solution? Looking to create a safer world for yourself and your family?
Plastic Bottles
In the Winter 2004 issue, Yes! But How? stated that the Good Bottle by Marilyn Farms does not leach chemicals. I ordered some and found that they look to be the same as the Nalgene #7 bottle made of harmful lexan polycarbonate. I would like to be able to find a bottle that does not contain harmful plastics. Please help sort this out.
At the time the Winter 2004 issue went to press, we were unaware of a study that casts doubt on the safety of polycarbonate bottles. The Good Bottle is made of polycarbonate, although Marilyn Farms stands by the safety of its bottles.
The study, published by Dr. Patricia Hunt in the April 2003 issue of Current Biology, reports that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) causes a chromosomal abnormality in the oocytes or egg cells of female mice. Polycarbonate plastic is manufactured with BPA.
In her study, Hunt, a geneticist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, detected a chromosomal error in cell division known as aneuploidy. Other researches linked aneuploidy to spontaneous miscarriages and birth defects in humans.
The Bisphenol A Global Industry Group of the American Plastics Council, the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association, however, dispute Hunt's findings, especially on how it applies to human reproduction or development. They claim the reproductive and development effects were not examined in Hunt's study and the experimental system used has not been validated or standardized for the evaluation of reproductive effects. They instead point to two multi-generation studies that specifically investigated the reproductive or developmental effects of BPA. The studies, one by the Research Triangle Institute and the other by the Japanese National Institute of Health Sciences, reported that BPA did not cause reproductive or development effects at any environmentally relevant dose.
At best, research on BPA is far from definitive. In the meantime, it is wise to minimize your use of plastics, as all plastics break down over time, and so have the potential to leach chemicals.
To minimize your use of plastics, we suggest the following:
• Exchange that plastic bottle at your office desk for a glass.
• Never microwave anything in a plastic container.
• When you need a portable container, try alternatives to plastics, especially for hot or acidic drinks. Thermoses with stainless steel or ceramic interiors may be too bulky for hiking, but could be used for your commute or car-camping.
• When you must use plastics, choose #2 high-density polyethylene (HDPE), #4 low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and #5 polypropylene (PP). These types of plastics are not known to leach harmful chemicals. Avoid #3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC), #6 polystyrene (PS), and, according to Hunt's study, #7 polycarbonate. Plastic bottles made from #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) are for single, not multiple use.
• When you do use plastic water bottles, store them away from heat. Hand wash them with mild detergent and rinse well. Never expose bottles to harsh chemicals, such as bleach, in cleaning.
Michelle Burkhart