But "this isn't something I want to take a chance on when it comes to my child's well-being."
A growing number of consumers who are looking for alternatives after reports that a chemical in the polycarbonate plastic used in the trademark bottles may be unsafe. Polycarbonate was once considered a giant leap forward in plastics: it's sturdy, lightweight and clear -- and it doesn't transfer taste, as Nalgene fanatics are quick to point out. Yet it's come under scrutiny after reports that the plastic leaches bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone disruptor currently under review by the Canadian government. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Authority had both concluded that the chemical is safe for food-grade use. But recent controversial studies link BPA -- also found in a huge range of products, including baby bottles, plastic-lined tin cans, and kids' toys -- to reproductive abnormalities, neurological disorders, prostate cancer and pre-cancerous breast tissue.
Cell studies of BPA show major changes in cell signaling down to 0.23 parts per trillion. This is the lowest dose that has ever been tested, and it caused biologically important effects. With six billion pounds of BPA produced each year, no wonder there is such resistance to these low level results.
If EPA were to use 2.5 ppb from the current experiment as a LOAEL and apply the same logic used to establish the current standard, the reference (safe) dose would be 2.5 parts per trillion. Linked from here
Proponents like the American Chemistry Council urge consumers to ignore the scare stories based on animal studies... But the mouse has always been a pretty good model for humans, says geneticist Patricia Hunt, who observed chromosomal abnormalities in lab mice exposed to BPA in 1998. Since then, the science has been "nailed down," argues Frederick vom Saal, the University of Missouri-Columbia biology professor who's leading the scientific charge against BPA. "It's just a question of whether the regulatory community acknowledges the hazards of this chemical." Rick Smith, the executive director of the Toronto-based Environmental Defense, is predicting that this will be among the dominant debates in the area of the environment in the next few years.
Once ubiquitous on university campuses, where they emerged as the accessory of choice among young, outdoorsy types, Nalgene bottles are being displaced by metal bottles, While metal bottles are the 'safer,' greener -- and cooler -- way to hydrate... "Who knows?" "In a few years' time they may say there's something wrong with stainless steel.
Haase Comment- "If the general public had any idea of the consequences of using hazardous chemical to make consumables, they would all make smarter purchases that save our future"
Also see more reports on plastic risks here:
- Canada Says Good Bye - Hazardous Chemicals
- BPA scandal - Public health agency linked to chemical industry
- Professor-obesity could be caused by female sex hormones used to make plastic bottles
Online resources on possible risks and alternatives to plastics for children:
Environment California report: www.links.sfgate.com/ZCM
Environment California report: www.links.sfgate.com/ZCM
EWG report on bisphenol A: www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/consumertips.php
Other studies on toxic chemicals linked here: Toxic2U
