Question: Should I throw out plastic water bottles (like Dasani or Aquafina) immediately after use?

My boyfriend often reuses water bottles and puts them in the fridge. I was initially grossed out by the habit of his, but just got used to it. However, I've read that, over time, the plastic breaks down and can leak BPA into the bottles. BPA is linked to neurological disorders, feminization of men, etc.

Is the BPA in our water bottles negligible? Or could this be a harmful practice? Should we pitch all of the water bottles and invest in a good purifier pitcher?

9/12/2011 4:22:31 PM

Quote :

"feminization of men"

Is that really a side effect??

9/12/2011 4:27:40 PM

I do that with water bottles too. I'll probably use them for 2 weeks or so before tossing them. No idea of the BPA amounts though...would be interested to know.

Not much in this article...but, for reference:

Quote :

" BPA has raised concerns because it appears to mimic the effects of estrogen, interfering with hormone levels and cell signaling systems. Previous studies have shown that people exposed to high levels of BPA have a greater risk of developing uterine fibroids, breast cancer, decreased sperm counts, and prostate cancer."

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2008/04/16/study-of-chemical-in-plastic-bottles-raises-alarm


[Edited on September 12, 2011 at 4:33 PM. Reason : ]

9/12/2011 4:31:32 PM

BPA has estrogenic effects that can be harmful to men in large quantities. It's most harmful to developing males, like newborns. Basically, it causes moobs and other feminine qualities.

BPA is banned in baby bottles in several countries.

[Edited on September 12, 2011 at 4:32 PM. Reason : ,]

9/12/2011 4:31:36 PM

The problem with this stuff appears to be how widespread it is. One article linked off the first one mentions that nearly all linings of metal cans use BPA--and while I don't use a lot of canned goods, canned tuna and beans are frequent parts of my diet. I've also been debating for some time whether I should pitch my trusty nalgene bottle and switch to (unlined) metal. The article raised the concern of temperature, which I suppose is a concern for baby bottles since they are often warmed, but not so much for water bottles.

Quote :

"Should we pitch all of the water bottles and invest in a good purifier pitcher?"

What if the water purifier pitcher contains BPA? I just now realized that the one I use is a brita that's probably 10 years old, and is made of hard, clear plastic. Guess what's in hard, clear plastic?

[Edited on September 12, 2011 at 4:56 PM. Reason : d]

9/12/2011 4:55:28 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=537723

9/12/2011 5:07:15 PM

http://nalgene.com/bpa-info/

9/12/2011 5:31:38 PM

"In general, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA."[25]

9/12/2011 5:32:11 PM

just buy some BPA free nalgene bottles if you're really worried about it. I think the dangers of BPA are overstated and used somewhat as a selling point for replacing older bottles, because there are tons of other chemicals that mimic estrogen in men. There's also not a lot of BPA in a plastic bottle - only a fraction of a microgram. There's just as much in the lining of canned food, but you never hear that argument to get rid of canned goods.

I always get a good laugh when some hippie goes off on the dangerous estrogenic effect of BPA, because soy and marijuana are phytoestrogens with a stronger affinity for the estrogen receptor than BPA. They are also present in much larger quantities than BPA.

9/12/2011 5:37:20 PM

Read the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck and you'll become a plasticphobe.

9/12/2011 5:38:54 PM

i'll take what bpa leeches into my water jug i bring to work every day vs the garbage water at work. it tastes really weird and working on a chemical plant i'm skeptical of it by nature.

9/12/2011 6:13:08 PM

Quote :

"There's just as much in the lining of canned food, but you never hear that argument to get rid of canned goods. "

Actually i've heard that quite a bit for several years now. I almost never buy canned goods but I still drink some soda (which also has BPA in the cans).

9/12/2011 6:17:50 PM

A lot, if not all, of Trader Joe's canned goods are BPA-free.

9/12/2011 6:18:45 PM

actually that's one of the main reasons I said "almost never" I <3 TJs and I have occasionally gotten something canned there.

As far as the plastic water bottles, I just have a couple nice BPA-free water bottles that I fill up and use instead of bottled water. Between having a nice filter at home and work (and not really minding "bad" tap water) I can't ever imagine paying for bottled water. It's just one of those things that is cheaper and more convenient (most water bottles insulate better than the thin plastic bottles) to NOT do the potentially harmful thing.

[Edited on September 12, 2011 at 6:25 PM. Reason : ]

9/12/2011 6:20:05 PM

What I've surmised from this thread:

Women should drink out of reused water bottles and men should not.

9/12/2011 6:31:25 PM

<3
http://www.rubbermaid.com/category/pages/subcategorylanding.aspx?CatName=Beverage&SubCatId=RefillReuseBottles

9/12/2011 8:07:39 PM

Quote :

"feminization of men"

from the pictures you posted before, and a few other comments you've made, i'd say it's too late.

9/12/2011 8:17:39 PM

Just avoid plastics in general. Using those bottles generates plastic waste anyway. I use glass and ceramic and fill my water up only when needed. Leaving those plastic bottles in cars and in the heat will also contribute to the break down so if you had to use them, avoid the extremes.

9/12/2011 8:39:36 PM

Quote :

"just buy some BPA free nalgene bottles if you're really worried about it. I think the dangers of BPA are overstated and used somewhat as a selling point for replacing older bottles, because there are tons of other chemicals that mimic estrogen in men. There's also not a lot of BPA in a plastic bottle - only a fraction of a microgram. There's just as much in the lining of canned food, but you never hear that argument to get rid of canned goods. I always get a good laugh when some hippie goes off on the dangerous estrogenic effect of BPA, because soy and marijuana are phytoestrogens with a stronger affinity for the estrogen receptor than BPA. They are also present in much larger quantities than BPA."

This.

Honestly, you shouldn't be so afraid of plastic bottles (especially the ones listed above: 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) unless you're repeatedly boiling water in them.

9/12/2011 9:39:30 PM

Quote :

" Should we pitch all of the water bottles and invest in a good purifier pitcher?"

Yes, get rid of the water bottles, but not because of BPA. Get rid of them because they are unnecessarily expensive and extremely wasteful.
Get a good water filter if you want and any type of reusable water bottle (Nalgene, etc).

9/12/2011 10:24:17 PM

^this, plus tap water is held to a much higher standard than bottled water.

9/12/2011 10:45:46 PM

It is tap water. He refills the bottles.

9/12/2011 11:53:35 PM

Just try it, if you feel ill or grow abnormal body parts, discontinue.

9/13/2011 1:14:12 AM

^^ Where do the bottles come from? Does he occasionally buy one when he's on a long road trip? Or does he buy one every day?


Tap water in a reused bottle is absolutely fine.
Brita filters are absolutely fine.
Straight tap water is absolutely fine.

9/13/2011 7:44:42 AM

He'll buy a 6-pack or 12-pack of bottled water and put them in the fridge. He'll drink the water and refill the bottles from the tap after each use. He throws away the water bottle if the plastic breaks down or if he catches a cold ... replaces them about every 3 to 4 months.

Seems more unsanitary than anything ... but just wondering about dangers of doing that as opposed to just drinking iced water out of a glass?

9/13/2011 9:11:54 AM

My grandpa said to never refill plastic water bottles again after drinking the original water. He went on about why, but I don't remember. He always has a bunch of random facts he tells me.

9/13/2011 9:24:23 AM

If your grandpa is like pretty much everyone else's grandpa you should probably check those facts on Snopes before repeating them.

9/13/2011 9:56:16 AM

I have always wondered why I always have the intense urge to jerk off to Matthew Mcconaughey after drinking bottled water. Now it just all makes sense.

9/13/2011 10:05:25 AM

i didn't read the thread, but i'm sure it's already been noted that BPA is an estrogen mimic and is bad in large quantities...that said, if all you're putting in the bottles is cold water, the leeching is minimal and likely low enough for your body to eliminate it naturally

the concern is with acidic and/or hot liquids, which leech BPA in large quantities

all that said, your best bet, if this concerns you, is to buy an HDPE bottle like the milky-white nalgene's or a stainless steel bottle like kleen kanteen and use those, instead

9/13/2011 12:40:06 PM

Quote :

" If your grandpa is like pretty much everyone else's grandpa you should probably check those facts on Snopes before repeating them."

I loled.

9/13/2011 10:30:37 PM

it leeches out more when heated, i.e. leaving it in your car

if you're keeping them at least room temperature then there's no real concern

9/14/2011 2:41:44 AM