Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Safety Alert!


I am a freak for H2O, it is all I drink, serious. I love to cart my water around with me in my many different coloured Nalgene water bottles. A co-worker has now informed me that these bottles are not safe! I am so upset over this, for the past 3 to 4 years that is all I have ever carried my water in, they are light weight, colourful and do not leak, even if you let the bottle roll around on the floor of your vehicle (as one of my bottles has done for the past 2 days). I decided to look into this story and the news I found was shocking, as of today I now ban my beautiful Nalgene bottles out of my life…sniff.

Here are a few tid-bits I do want to share, because I have a deep feeling that some of this is related to my past year.

“For years, hikers, bikers, campers, and other outdoor recreationalists have favored wide-mouthed water bottles made from Lexan® polycarbonate plastic, like those sold under the brand name Nalgene®. Lexan‚s advantages have been as clear as the water that flows from containers made from it. It‚s tough, lightweight, absorbs no flavors, and imparts no unpleasant tastes to liquids stored inside. According to new research, it may, however, be imparting unhealthy doses of a chemical called bisphenol-A.
According to several recent studies, polycarbonate plastic readily leaches a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) into foods and liquids that are stored in containers made from it. BPA has been identified as an endocrine disrupting chemical, or a chemical that easily mimics hormones when absorbed by the human body. In the case of BPA, the hormone being mimicked is estrogen. Exposure to this compound at the wrong time can cause a cell division problem called aneuploidy in which chromosomes do not evenly split as a cell divides, leaving the two resulting cells with more or fewer chromosomes than normal. This uneven distribution of genetic material can in turn lead to cancer, miscarriage, and birth defects that include Down‚s Syndrome.
Unfortunately, polycarbonate plastic bottles and containers are identified by the plastic recycling symbol #7, which is used for a wide variety of plastics and plastic mixtures that fall into the "Other category. Unless this #7 symbol is accompanied by the letters "PC, there‚s no sure way to tell if the container in question is made from polycarbonate or some other kind. To be safe, environmental advocates suggest simply avoiding #7 plastics altogether and opting for safer choices for food and beverage storage.”

They are really pushing for people to use metal water bottles, and bottles that have a ceramic lining. I know for sure that my Nalgene bottles are being retired until I know more.
There is my safety bulletin for the year.

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