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The Risks of Plastic Water Bottles

Although in most cases the risks are small, there are some risks in drinking from plastic water bottles. Different types of bottles carry different kinds of risks, from disease to contamination. Avoid the types of plastics, the toxicities and the risky behaviors associated with plastic water bottles by using other kinds of containers.

  1. Bacteria

    • Many people reuse water bottles in a concern for the environment. While this may be green living, it may also be high-risk living -- high risk of bacterial infection. According to KPTV News, tests in 2008 at Coffey Laboratories in Portland, Oregon, confirmed previous tests showing that reused water bottles carry up to 4,000 times more bacteria than new water bottles. Toxicologists recommend washing the bottles regularly with mild soap and water or sanitizing them in a dishwasher. Rinsing with two drops of bleach in a quart of water can also kill bacteria.

    Phthalates

    • According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, phthalates are chemicals that disrupt the production and use of testosterone and other hormones. These chemicals leech from the plastic bottles into the water over time. Because of lobbying by the bottled water industry, the NRDC says, there are no regulations regarding phthalate levels in plastic water bottles.

    BPA

    • The chemical bisphenol A or BPA leeches into liquids from the hard plastic bottles it is used to manufacture. This chemical imitates hormones such as estrogen, and is a concern for many people. It is possible that the chemical will affect sperm counts and hormonal cycles. Heating the containers increases the amount of chemical released. There are different opinions on the amount of risk BPA poses to humans, and studies have varied in their results.

      The chemical is found in clear or tinted hard plastics. Opaque plastics do not contain BPA. To identify BPA-containing bottles, look on the bottom of the bottle for three curved arrows in the shape of a triangle with a numeral seven in the middle, or for the letters PC.

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