Plastic Water Bottles May Post Health Hazard

[villager]

Source: Discovery News

Plastic Water Bottles May Pose Health Hazard

Emily Sohn, Discovery News


April 28, 2009 -- With all of the bad press swirling around certain types of plastic lately, regular old plastic water bottles have maintained a reputation as safe, at least as far as human health is concerned. New evidence, however, suggests that plastic water bottles may not be so benign after all.

Scientists in Germany have found that PET plastics -- the kind used to make water bottles, among many other common products -- may also harbor hormone-disrupting chemicals that leach into the water.

It's too soon to say whether drinking out of PET plastic bottles is harmful to human health, said lead researcher Martin Wagner, an ecotoxicologist at Goethe University in Frankfurt. But it now appears possible that some as-yet unidentified chemicals in these plastics have the potential to interfere with estrogen and other reproductive hormones, just as the infamous plasticizers BPA and phthalates do.

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Read more: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/28/water-bottles-health.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. People who re-use bottles

don't really help themselves either - or so I've read.

[NightWatcher]

2. Kleen Kanteen, I like them and they're better than other bottles

I've tried Camelbaks, Sigg Bottles, and a few others and I like the Kleen Kanteens most of all.

http://www.kleankanteen.com/index.html

[Taverner]

4. Sigg works for me

But I still buy the occasional cold bottle of water

[NightWatcher]

9. my problems with Sigg are: Aluminum bottles (connection to Alz??) and

2. the fact that they refuse to tell anyone what is in their "special secret ingredient coating"
3. and the threads on the mouth were sharp and annoying to drink from.

[surrealAmerican]

10. The Aluminum/Alzheimer's connection has been disproven.

The coating of course is still a concern. Plus what are the lids of these containers made of (especially the ones you drink through)?

[arikara]

16. Disproven by whom?

I am of the understanding that elevated aluminum levels is common in those with alzheimers. Considering my too young pop is in care because of dementia I don't do aluminum... deliberately at any rate. There are things to use that are more benign such as good old plain glass.

[NightWatcher]

19. they make all kinds of caps from a few plastic to stainless steel

http://www.kleankanteen.com/products/accessories/klean-kanteen-caps-classic.html

[mzmolly]

22. Sigg are supposedly lined with a clear porcelain to prevent

leaching. :shrug:

[Stump]

5. They look nice....

I might grab one up when I get paid...

[StarryNite]

3. Primo...

bottled water that comes in plastic made from plants not crude oil. Some grocery store chains carry it. The water tastes good too!

[tomm2thumbs]

6. I like how this story triggers ads from plastic-bottled water companies LOL

Drink up!

[StarryNite]

7. LOL! N/T

[hugo_from_TN]

8. Pretty sure I heard this years ago.

Which is why we bought SIGG bottles for our family. Seriously, didn't we know this at least 3-5 years ago??

[Lorien]

13. We knew that chemicals were leeching from the plastic into the water

but I don't know if their effects on horomones were known before now.

I carry SIGG bottles too. I like the taste of the water from my Pur filters much better than any bottled brand anyway-plus it's much less expensive and more environmentally sound.

[arikara]

15. Yes, this is really old news

I've been refilling a glass bragg vinegar bottle inside a padded carrier thingy for years. A little heavier than plastic but it can sit in the car and get warm. Some people buy a sobe drink, toss out the sugary contents and use it for water, they may be a better size for people.

[NashVegas]

11. One of Our Local Colleges - Belmont - Banned the Sale of Bottled Water On Campus

So proud of 'em.

[madmom]

12. I just bought a recycled aluminum water bottle from walmart the other

day. I like it, it keeps the water colder than plastic.

[Dogmudgeon]

14. Soft plastics USUALLY equal phthalates

Phthalates are plastic softeners -- and intense endocrine disrupters. The softer, more pliable the plastic, the more phthalate.

Incidentally, if you work with polymer clay (Sculpy, Fimo, etc), it is kept soft with phthalates, so make sure to wear gloves or to wash your hands well after working with it.

--d!

[starroute]

17. Does this mean we should avoid plastic milk jugs?

I've been avoiding paper milk cartons for years because of the chlorine used in the bleaching process. Is plastic just as bad?

[Delphinus]

18. Good question.

And, in following the Red Cross way of making sure I'm self-sustaining for two weeks, I've bought bottled water in gallon jugs. What's a person to do with that?

[jus_the_facts]

20. I've gotten notices for 4.5 YEARS that our water supply is contaminated with TRIHALOMETHANE....

....it IS toxic and causes cancer too...the levels are over twice what is considered safe...they've said they were trying to reduce the levels back down to safty standards..yet we still get the notices...now they've added AMMONIA to make the water clearer instead of brownish...and you can smell it big time...but the trihalomethane levels haven't gone down at all in almost 5 years....I'll take my chances and my pets lives with bottled water thankyouverymuch. :rant:

[mzmolly]

21. Crap. Even cans are lined with plastics.

:(