A few years ago—after some testing brought some negative results into the limelight—a nation-wide scare of the dangers of plastic water bottles began. Parents everywhere began throwing out the entire rainbow spectrum of colored Nalgene bottles, and replaced them with their more expensive, metal counterparts— the Sigg bottle. Before we learned whether the investment was actually worth the health benefits, not to mention the lack of exciting color options, the nation was most likely excited by another, more controversial, FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) discovery. Here are the conclusions you never received, but always speculated about.
Disposable Plastic Bottles
- That drink you bought from the gas station yesterday was probably made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as are most “convenience-size beverage bottles” sold in the U.S. According to FDA testing, this substance is not toxic, nor does it leach (technically called “migrate”) into the water.
- Although PET is certified for any contact with food, many labels in the U.S. call for single use only— this is because of economic/cultural reasons. The PET may be able to withstand reuse, but the design of the bottle itself does not allow for companies to collect and refill them (bottles from other countries often have a thicker sidewall to allow them to be reused on an industrial level).
- A PET bottle or container may be reusable, but clean it with hot, soapy water and allow it to dry before refilling it. After these containers are opened, they are a perfect place for bacteria to grow (especially if kept in a warm place). In other words, filling that empty Gatorade bottle that’s been kicking around in your car for a few days is asking for trouble.
- In fact, most of the drama surrounding plastic water bottles was created by e-mail hoaxes. A student from a University of Idaho wrote a masters thesis that claimed di adipate (DEHA) was an additive in plastics, and also a human carcinogen. The thesis got media attention, but was not reviewed by the FDA or published as a scientific work. First of all, the Environmental Protection Agency ruled in 1995 that there was not enough evidence to link DEHA with cancer in humans. It has since been cleared by the FDA as a non-risk for any type of contact with food. Second, DEHA is not actually present in PET anyway, but is used in other plastic items. Contamination from plastic within the lab caused the error in the student’s report. Other tests were conducted in 2003, and the email was disproved again. Another e-mail hoax led to the belief that freezing a bottle made up of PET can cause a release of dioxins into the beverage. This email was also disproved; dioxins can only be formed at a temperature above 700 degreed Fahrenheit.
Nalgene Bottles
- Nalgenes were originally polycarbonate plastic bottles, which contain bisphenol-A (BPA). This hormone-mimicking chemical can cause damage to human’s hormonal systems, but the FDA declared the small amount contained in beverage containers as a low health risk. Unable to escape the controversy however, Nalgene began to make and sell polycarbonate-free bottles (just look for the sticker).
- For those still wary of polycarbonate Nalgene products, it should be noted that CD’s/DVD’s, food-can liners, dental sealants, water filters, eyeglasses, and other household goods—more than 600 million products produced in the U.S. each year—all contain BPA.
Sources
http://www.plasticsinfo.org/beveragebottles/apc_faqs.html
http://www.plasticsinfo.org/Main-Menu/MicrowaveFood/Need-to-Know/Plastic-Bev-Bottles/The-Safety-of-Polyethylene-Terephthalate-PET.html
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/26/health_concerns_ripple_over_hard_plastic_water_bottles/?page=2