What Plastics Are Safe to Drink From?
You've read the emailed warnings. You've heard about scary health risks on the television. You've noticed manufacturers are starting to mark certain products "BPA free." "Are there any plastics that are safe to drink from?" you wonder. And what is the evidence plastics are unhealthy? Here's what you need to know.
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What Is the Concern?
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A chemical called bisphenol-a (BPA) is used in many plastics, including plastic drinking bottles, to make the product shatterproof and clear. Although BPA has been used in plastics for over 50 years, and while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says current levels are safe, studies show BPA leaches into our food and drink. The amounts are trace, but some wonder whether the estrogen-like substance is as safe as the FDA claims.
What Are the Health Risks?
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In animal studies, BPA has been linked to certain types of cancers and poor brain development in children. Baby rats injected with BPA or consuming BPA through food developed changes in the mammary and prostate tissue, indicating they might develop cancer. In some female mice, puberty appeared to come sooner. And some believe BPA could raise the risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and breast development in boys.
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Is It Fact or Fiction?
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No study yet has looked at how BPA affects humans, and many scientists believe past BPA studies were flawed. The National Institutes of Health admits it funded many BPA research projects that were poorly designed. And while the primary risk is to fetuses and children, Dr. Michael D. Shelby, director of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, says, "I don't think there's anything in this brief that should lead to alarm...It means we've got a limited amount of evidence from some studies that were done in laboratory animals."
Choosing Safe Plastics
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If you're concerned about BPA exposure, avoid hard plastic products, which almost always contain the chemical. For more assurance the plastic doesn't contain BPA, look at the recycling symbol on the bottom. If it has a #3 or 6 mark, the bottle contains BPA. Bottles marked with a #7 may or may not contain BPA. (#7 is a "catch all" that includes products mixing non-BPA plastics together.)
Plastics with other recycling numbers are BPA free and are considered safe to drink from.
Alternatives to Plastic
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Trying to be even more safe, many people now drink water from a reusable aluminum bottle, but unless it is marked otherwise, spouts on these bottles likely contain BPA. Water in a box (like IceBox water) is another alternative. It's water packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard (made from sustainable forests) with a patented, BPA-free spout.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit www.sxc.hu
