What Are the Dangers of Polycarbonate Water Bottles?

Polycarbonate water bottles, those reusable hard plastic containers, are a fine way to transport drinking water but they might do far more harm than good. Manufacturers are substituting other types of plastic and materials for polycarbonate in the marketplace and research keeps increasing the list of health problems associated with polycarbonate.

BPA

• The basic building block of polycarbonate is a chemical compound called bisphenol A (BPA) and it’s this ingredient that is causing all the concern. BPA was originally studied as a possible synthetic estrogen. Later, scientists discovered they could create a rigid type of plastic by combining BPA molecules. The problem with BPA is that it easily leaches into food or water even at low temperatures.

Health Issues

• Scientists at Case Western Reserve were the first to discover leaching from polycarbonate to the water supply of laboratory mice. Subsequent studies have shown why BPA is so harmful. The substance has been linked to abnormal development of reproductive organs, chromosomal errors that lead to birth defects and miscarriages, fibroids and cysts, and a predisposition to certain cancers.
  Researchers at the University of Cincinnati conclude that BPA is an endocrine disruptor, that it alters the function of the endocrine system by imitating the duties of natural hormones.

Water Bottles and More

• Water bottles are just one of the products made from polycarbonate plastic. The material has been used for sports bottles, baby bottles, as a dental sealant, in microwave oven dishes and in water cooler containers. Polycarbonate water bottles usually have a No. 7 stamped on the bottom of the container.
  BPA is not just found in polycarbonate plastic. It exists as a particulate in the environment, being found in the air we breathe and the dust in our homes. As of 2008, about 8.2 billion pounds of BPA was being produced each year.

Alternatives

• Scientists studying BPA urge people to find alternatives to polycarbonate products. Metal water bottles are suggested as a better means of transporting water. Additionally, parents are urged to use glass instead of plastic bottles for infants.
  While the polycarbonate industry has resisted efforts, scientists are lobbying to have polycarbonates removed from applications where it can cause problems with drinking water and food.