Will BPA Leach from Your
Plastic Water Bottles?

BPA is short for Bisphenol A. It has been used for 50 years to make polycarbonate plastic, which is clear and near shatter proof. It is also in resins used to coat the inside of most food and beverage cans and baby bottles.

In the past few years, this chemical has drawn attention for its possible connections to fetal and infant brain development, interference with brain cell connections vital to learning, memory and mood as well as possible carcinogenic effects to offspring if pregnant mothers are exposed.

What Plastic Goods Are Involved?

We are all familiar with the recycle plastic codes. Code number 7 signifies that the plastic(s) in the product are “other than” the specific polymer types of which numbers 1-6 are made.

If you see a 7 on that beverage container, it may pose a risk, unless it also states that it is BPA-free. No matter what the plastic type, you never want to heat food in the microwave while it is still in a plastic container.

What Products Are Involved?

The prime concerns are for:

Baby Bottles:

To eliminate this risk for baby bottles, you can either buy those guaranteed not to contain bisphenol A, buy the type with a one use internal non-PVC (PVC contains dangerous phthalates) plastic bag to hold the milk or formula, or use glass bottles.

Reusable Beverage Containers:

For these, you can reuse code number 1 bottles a few times, even though they are manufactured for one use. To avoid bacterial infestation, wash with dish detergent and hot water between each use. Once in a while you may wish to rinse with a weak bleach or non-bleach antibacterial solution. Recycle them after three uses.

The safest practice is to buy BPA-free certified bottles

By the way, Nalgene states that none of its number 7 plastic polymers contain BPA, but the company has also begun manufacturing bottles specifically labeled as not containing it, so it is safest to purchase the latter.

Food Storage Containers:

We all know that plastic food containers should never be heated in a microwave, as the plastic polymers will leach into your food. Though slower, this same leaching occurs when your food is simply stored in plastic "tupperware." These glass versions are inexpensive, safe and some are ovenproof.

Water Cooler Jugs:

Since these 3 and 5 gallon jugs are supplied to your home or business by a commercial delivery company, they are certainly refilled many times.

You can assume that the companies adequately clean and disinfect the bottles between uses, as they have a strong interest in keeping their customers bacteria free. The problem with these systems is in the bottles themselves, which are manufactured from number 7 plastics. The bisphenol A leaching is a risk.

As a thrifty, health conscious environmentalist, how do you obtain healthy water for home drinking, cooking and to fill water bottles for outside the home?

Water Filters May Be the Solution

Most people buy bottled water to ensure they are getting the safest product. While some suppliers claim their water to be “mountain spring” or “aquifer, ” others such as Pepsi’s Dasani are simply filtered municipal water.

We have had success with these above-sink or below-sink filtration systems. By using BPA-free bottles or stainless steel bottles when you carry water from your home rather than buying bottled water, you will quickly make up the initial investment.

These systems are easy to install without the need to hire a plumber. You will have more space in your home without the water bubbler. You will reduce petroleum-based plastics manufacturing and also less waste. All while getting pure water inexpensively.

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