Drinking from plastic bottles increases the exposure to harmful chemicals.
Scientists have long been concerned about the possible effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on people’s health and this chemical is every day used in numerous plastic packaging of different food products and beverages.
Also, the BPA chemical is used in production of tin cans, and in some countries BPA is officially declared as toxic.
The survey revealed that participants who drank from polycarbonate bottles for a weak had up to 69 % higher concentration of the BPA chemical in the urine samples, compared to those who didn’t used plastic bottles. Scientists didn’t discover how much did the respondents drink during the day.
The survey was conducted at Harvard University and 77 students were examined.
The students had previously undergone a phase of flushing (cleaning) in which all cold beverages they had were packed in bottles made of stainless steel in order to reduce the exposure to BPA.
After this phase, each of the students got two polycarbonate bottles which they were supposed to use over the next week.
This research has shown that drinking cold beverages from polycarbonate bottles within a week increases the presence of the chemical BPA in the urine for more than two thirds. If these bottles are heated, as is the case with children’s bottles, then the level of BPA in urine is significantly higher.
This fact is concerning experts, because BPA impact on glands function in babies is much stronger, says an epidemiology professor at “Harvard Medical School”, Prof.Dr. Karin B. Michels.
Previous studies have shown that high values of consumed BPA chemical is closely related to congenital defects, growth and development problems and increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Last year Canada banned the use of BPA chemical in polycarbonates used in production of baby bottles, and some producers voluntarily stopped the use of this harmful chemical.
Dec. 3, 2013 Tuesday
I have seen plastic bottles & cups (like in Ross or Longs drugs stores) that says BPA free that are for sale & some does not say that. So, for the ones that does not say “BPA free”, is not really BPA free?? Or how do I really tell which is which? In Costco, they are selling this ICE Juice drinks & amongst other juices in a plastic bottles, soo the bottles they are using are not BPA free?? The ones I have right now are 18 bottles of ICE Juice from Costco. It is supposedly ok to let it stay at a room temperature if not open. Then once we open one at a time, we still leave it in room temperature. Obviously we can not drink 18 liquids in one siting.
IF I wanted to use plastic bottles (lets say 3) for drinking (for the whole entire day) , where would you suggest the best places in Honolulu Hawaii to purchase BPA free plastic bottles to use to drink with? Ross had them once, but I didn’t learn of this till much later, & when I went back to purchase those BPA free bottles in Ross, they were gone. All I see are BPA free cups, & they are too small to last a whole day & too bulky to fit in a portable lite lunch pail.
Hope to hear back from your reply soon.
Annie.
Dear Annie,
Drink tap water. Buy a home water filter and start carrying tap in your stainless steel bottle. Save money and the planet.