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Health Effects of Plastic Water Bottles

Everyone knows by now that plastic water bottles are not the most environmentally friendly product on the planet. Because the water industry bottles millions of gallons per year, the net effect is a dangerous one considering the fossil fuels used to make these bottles and the damaging effects this plastic has once dumped into landfills. What many people do not know is that simply refilling a bottle to use repeatedly or choosing a hard plastic bottle to keep around are not necessarily the best solutions. Why? Because these bottles also pose a personal health threat.

  1. Bisphenol A

    • Hard plastic water bottles such as those intended for repeated use or those used for baby bottles have been found to contain a chemical known as Bisphenol A, or BPA for short. In 2008, The U.S. National Toxicology Program agreed on the record with scientists who have expressed concerns with how this chemical affects those who ingest it. BPA acts as a synthetic version of estrogen in those who ingest it and people exposed to a high amount have been shown to develop a wide array of health problems. These include instances of uterine fibroids, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Because of these dangers, many have sought to switch to BPA-free containers, particularly when it comes to baby bottles.

    Endocrine Disrupters

    • Because hard plastic water bottles have gotten so much bad press due to BPA, many turned to the disposable water bottles as a way of avoiding the chemical. Unfortunately, new research has shown that these bottles may not be entirely safe, either. Though entirely approved by the FDA, a recent study done at the Goethe University in Germany shows that a certain level of hormone-mimics can be found in bottles of mineral water. These contaminants leak out of the plastic and into the water, and the chemicals themselves tend to have estrogenic effects, just like the vilified BPA. While its entirely too early to say what effects these could have on a human being (they provided a nice breeding ground for New Zealand mud snails, which thrive on estrogen), they could act as endocrine disrupters. Whenever an artificial hormone is added to the body, it tends to reduce or shut down the body's natural ability to produce that hormone.

    Bacteria

    • Though reusing plastic water bottles may be the green thing to do, scientists say that this can also pose a potential health threat entirely aside from any chemicals in the plastic. Researchers at the University of Calgary conducted a study that found hetrotrophic bacteria--a bacteria commonly found in the mouth--growing in approximately 10 percent of reused water bottles. With repeated reuse, these bacteria levels would tend to grow exponentially. The solution? Wash the water bottle in warm water and soap before refilling. Don't use very hot water, as this can degrade the plastic. Also be careful to wash your hands before handling the water bottle, to avoid germs and bacteria from transferring to the cap and mouth area of the bottle.

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