Bisphenol A (BPA)

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This symbol on your water bottle indicates the presence of BPA New Nalgene BPa Free Tritan Bottles Add Icon Add another image

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Bisphenol A (usually abbreviated to BPA) is a compound used in the manufacture of various plastics. Throughout early 2008 it has made increasingly large headlines as various studies proclaim it to be a health risk, retailers pull BPA-containing products from shelves, and finally governments have come out with positions against it.

Where do you find BPA/How do you avoid BPA?

Plastics containing BPA are labelled with the recycling type 7 (labelled with a 7 on the bottom of the bottle) though not all recycling-7 products contain BPA. This is the "other" catch-all category of plastics. According to Wikipedia, "Type 3 (PVC) can also contain bisphenol A as antioxidant in plasticizers."

Among BPA-containing products are the clear, colourful Nalgene bottles. This led MEC and other retailers to stop carrying Nalgene bottles.

Effects of BPA

Among the reported ill effects of BPA are:

  • changes to genital tract
  • changes in breast tissue that can lead to cancers
  • increase in prostate mass
  • signs of early puberty
  • decline in testicular testosterone
  • insulin resistance
  • decreased maternal behavior
  • damage to eggs and chromosomes
  • hyperactivity
  • reversal of normal sex difference in brain structure

While I do not dispute Health Canada's research and findings on the links of BPA to our health it should be noted that Nalgene and other polycarbonates are not the only source of this chemical in our daily intake. Nalgene has certainly taken the brunt of the media's attention and has acted quickly and wisely by already bringing to market clear BPa free bottles using tritan which you should see arriving at many outdoor stores in the coming weeks. Substantially higher levels of BPa are already being found in all canned goods, the highest being canned tomato sauce. Consumers should note that the levels of BPa leaching in polycarbonate bottles varies dramatically with use. Your bottle is great for cool liquids and should not be heated, boiled, microwaved or cleaned with any bleaching agents or heavy cleaners. Many alternatives for your drinking water can be found at most stores, including Stainless Steel, Epoxy-Phenolic lined Aluminum bottles (Sigg & Laken) and the traditional LDPA (Low Density Polyethelene) sport bottles. Check out www.nalgene.com for a comparison of these materials and the proper use of each. Most importantly we are keeping plastic bottles out of our landfills and by having natural water with you on a daily basis you a improving your overall health!

pdemos

June 5, 2008 at 9 a.m.

Is anyone aware of any stores taking back Nalgene Bottles and replacing them free with alternates?

Lori Carruthers

June 19, 2008 at 10:14 a.m.

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