How to tell if your plastic bottle is safe
Categories: Babies, Money & work, Health & safety, Eating & nutrition, In the news
Earlier this week, the Today Show did a segment on a topic that is beginning to get a lot of attention: the safety of reusable plastic bottles. Concerns about the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in many plastic bottles, has led the government to conduct a large-scale study that will be released within the next few weeks.
Previous studies have shown that BPA mimics hormones in our bodies and has been linked to abnormalities in the mammary and prostrate glands as well as the eggs of laboratory animals. Other animal testing has shown that Bisphenol A can cause the early onset of puberty, contribute to weight gain and lead to breast and prostate cancer.
So, the question isn't whether or not BPA is in some of our plastic bottles - it is. What hasn't been determined is just how much BPA can we ingest without adverse affects. And here is where the expert opinions become confusing. Some say the BPA levels we are exposed to from plastic bottles are too low to be of any concern. Others believe that even low levels can have neural and behavioral effects in fetuses and children.
Dr. Leo Trasand of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, thinks any exposure at all is too much. "Unfortunately, there is no level of exposure that has been identified as being safe," he says. And if that doesn't concern you just a little bit, consider the fact that a CDC study found BPA in the urine of 95% of the adults sampled, in the blood of pregnant women, in umbilical cord blood and placentas - all at levels that have been shown to alter development in animals.
So, how do you minimize your risk? Dr. Trasand says to turn your bottle over and look for a number stamped on the bottom. Number 1 bottles are commonly used for sodas and water and are considered safe for single use. Dr. Trasand says that bottles stamped with 3, 6 or 7 "are not safe for use across the board" and should be avoided.
For BPA-free options for babies and kids, check out Bethany Sanders' post on the subject.
Previous studies have shown that BPA mimics hormones in our bodies and has been linked to abnormalities in the mammary and prostrate glands as well as the eggs of laboratory animals. Other animal testing has shown that Bisphenol A can cause the early onset of puberty, contribute to weight gain and lead to breast and prostate cancer.
So, the question isn't whether or not BPA is in some of our plastic bottles - it is. What hasn't been determined is just how much BPA can we ingest without adverse affects. And here is where the expert opinions become confusing. Some say the BPA levels we are exposed to from plastic bottles are too low to be of any concern. Others believe that even low levels can have neural and behavioral effects in fetuses and children.
Dr. Leo Trasand of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, thinks any exposure at all is too much. "Unfortunately, there is no level of exposure that has been identified as being safe," he says. And if that doesn't concern you just a little bit, consider the fact that a CDC study found BPA in the urine of 95% of the adults sampled, in the blood of pregnant women, in umbilical cord blood and placentas - all at levels that have been shown to alter development in animals.
So, how do you minimize your risk? Dr. Trasand says to turn your bottle over and look for a number stamped on the bottom. Number 1 bottles are commonly used for sodas and water and are considered safe for single use. Dr. Trasand says that bottles stamped with 3, 6 or 7 "are not safe for use across the board" and should be avoided.
For BPA-free options for babies and kids, check out Bethany Sanders' post on the subject.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kevin 4-11-2008 @ 6:25PM
Scary thing is, dental composite fillings are made with BPA!
Reply
Jan Bay 4-11-2008 @ 7:00PM
Why were we so gung ho about getting away from glass in the first place? Glass coke bottles were so strong that I've seen them literally bounce off concrete pavement with little more than a scratch and everybody turned their empty bottles in for recycyling! And what was wrong with milk in paper containers rather than plastic? I can't think of anything that I like better about my milk coming in plastic jugs rather than glass or paper.
What are some products that are bottled in the containers marked 3, 6 and 7?
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
Reply
Debbie 4-27-2008 @ 11:51PM
Did you know Geber Baby food comes in the plastic containers with the 7 on the bottom. Iv'e called Gerber as have many others. They are reading on a scripted form to give everyone the same answer. that their products are safe. As I recall, that's what the tobacco companies always told us about their products!! Babies have to be at the greatest risk for the use of these containers!
Amy 4-11-2008 @ 7:46PM
It's also in many of the containers that food comes in.
Reply
Kevin 4-12-2008 @ 12:32PM
re: Ref - that's why they say to NEVER put hot beverages in Nalgenes!
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Tree 4-12-2008 @ 10:34PM
Lame. That had nothing to do with this parenting post.
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queenoqueens 4-13-2008 @ 1:14PM
What surprises me about the story on the Today show is that there's no mention of cans having BPA in them (unless I missed it). Did they miss this fact, or just not report it? It leaves part of the story untold, and people might think they've eradicated the problem by simply using the right plastic.
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa
Reply
Crystal 4-13-2008 @ 2:57PM
Screw water...Lets all have a beer. No plastic bottles there! lol
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Cheryl Crocker 4-15-2008 @ 3:04AM
Well are we forgetting that the aluminum that we drink our Beers and cokes have aluminum in them and that is what is causing alzheimer's....Hello people when are you going to wake up and stop letting people think for you??
Crystal 4-15-2008 @ 4:07AM
Cheryl- It was a joke. Lighten up.
Reply
Ref 4-26-2008 @ 8:38PM
Nalgene bottles have "7" marked under their bottles
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tony 5-16-2008 @ 8:59PM
This is really helpful multimedia piece that I found about the issue and perhaps most importantly a few clear things on how to play it safe.
Perturbed about Plastic?
A succinct look at the BPA bottle controversy...
http://beta.flowgram.com/f/p.html#M33WCYKCNWVFDW
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John 6-09-2008 @ 2:42PM
Good point by Jan Bay. I have to add something about glass vs. plastic. A lot of people mistakenly think that glass is bad for the environment and plastic is good. Almost all plastic ends up in oceans, where it is completely non-biodegradable and kills micro-organisms. This damage lasts indefinitely. Glass, on the other hand, simply becomes sand after a few decades to a few hundred years and so does no lasting damage on the planet.
Reply