Harvard study links BPA levels to drinking from polycarbonate bottles

This thread is for comments on the article "Harvard study links BPA levels to drinking from polycarbonate bottles"

If you’re still drinking out of your old #7 polycarbonate water bottle, read the results of a new study from the ...

Full article at http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2009/06/17/bpa-polycarbonate-link-harvard-study.html

am i too assume that if a bottle is labeled BPA free, then even if it's a nalgene, it's ok?

Yes, well, presumably as safe as anything else out there.

It's important to note that Nalgene makes plastic and metal water bottles from a variety of materials, besides the polycarbonate ones they've since phased out (though you can still buy them at some stores).

http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/technical/materials/index.html

Nalgene, and lots of other manufacturers, now use Tritan by Eastman for their hard plastic bottles. It's also a #7 for recycling, but #7 covers lots of different materials, not just polycarbonates w/BPA.

Made with Tritan from Eastman
Extremely durable
Resistant to staining
Resistant to retaining odors
Recommended for "extreme" adventures
Dishwasher Safe - Please make sure the cap does not touch the heating element
Withstands temperatures from -40ºF to 212ºF
This bottle is made from Eastman Tritan copolyester that is manufactured without Bisphenol A (BPA)
This bottle has a recycling code of #7, which means other. It does not contain BPA
Made in USA

Hmmm, that's interesting -

This bottle has a recycling code of #7, which means other.

"Other" could include any one of a few thousand chemicals.

Yes, #7 is a catchall for everything that doesn't fall into numbers 1-6, or that uses more than one type of plastic, including 1-6.

All plastics that do not already fall into categories 1 through 6 must be designated with the “other” marking, which is #7. These categories are required by law in 39 states on certain types of containers. #7 is often the container of choice for reusable plastic water and baby bottles. In addition, any container made from multi-layered or mixed materials – even when the layers are made from #1 through #6 materials – must also be marked with the #7 for “multi-layered materials.”

From: http://earth911.com/plastic/number-7-plastic/

Also, check out the following, for info on all numbers: http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321

Please sign in to reply