For all of the thousands of times I’ve drank from plastic water bottles, I have never questioned the materials used to make those bottles until now. These convenient plastic reusable bottles have been with me through sports as a kid, through college classes, and are now a part of my regular fitness routine. It wasn’t until I learned of the dangers of Bisphenol A, a common ingredient in plastic water bottles, that I suddenly feared the effects these numerous uses could have on my health.
Recent studies have indicated links between Bisphenol A and early puberty and breast cancer. Also, since Bisphenol A is “estrogen-like”, there are concerns that it can decrease semen numbers for men as well as result in their breast enlargement. All of this coming from a small, everyday water bottles is nothing short of frightening! I certainly do not want any chemicals leaching into my drinking water!
Until we can trust that companies are not using Bisphenol A and are producing safe plastic water bottles, I recommend trying out a either a “Think Outside the Bottle” stainless steel water bottle or a klean kanteen. These are said to last for many years and can be remade into new stainless steel bottles once recycled. Klean Kanteen specifically states that their bottles are free of Bisphenol A.
In addition, come to find out, Bishenol A is used in plastic baby bottles so switching over to glass bottles could reduce the above risks. Also, closely monitoring the toys that your baby puts in his/her mouth is important as Bisphenol A could be a component of the plastic toys. Visit www.healthytoys.org to search out dangerous chemicals that could be located in your child’s toys.
Hopefully this post is helpful in your future bottle and toy purchases, I know I’m looking forward to getting my Klean Kanteen so I no longer have to worry about Bisphenol A in my water bottles.
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Ooooh! We got Klean Kanteens for Christmas!! It is also worth noting that the BPA is more likely to leach into your water when it’s exposed to heat or an extended shelf life – which is why leaving your water bottle in the car on a hot day or storing on the shelf for years is not a good idea!
Wow, that healthytoys.org site is really interesting… it looks like it’s run by Ecology Center, a non-profit out of Ann Arbor! Maybe we should become members. I would love to support a market-run regulation center like this. Sure beats the government’s take:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=6735
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