Cancer and water bottles

[Doc]

In regards to the questions about cancer and water bottles.

There are two chemicals that are in plastic that make it durable (flexible) that have been strongly linked to carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Those chemicals go by the names BPA (bisphenol A), and Phthalates.

Mind you I am no cancer expert, but I am always looking for information that seems to hold enough truth to make positive changes in the health of my family.

About two years ago Sheryl Crow made a public statement about her personal belief that plastic water bottles contributed to her breast cancer. At the time I took note, but I have never really cared what Sheryl Crow thought. More recently spent an hour listening to an interview on NPR with a cancer researcher, and he strongly recomeded avoiding the above mentioned chemicals. Just two moths ago a close friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. This came as a surprise because she was young, very healthy, ate extremely healthfully, and had no family history of breast cancer. She did however reuse water bottles for dozens of uses each. Her doctor cited the bottles as the most significant factor in causing her cancer.

For me that was enough. There are alternatives out there, (glass, from Fuzze and other companies) and Camelbak just released a bottle that is specifically free from these chemicals. This bottle is what we mostly use in my family and I like it.

Odd side note. I love the Camelbak concept, but no mater what I did the backpacks would always eventually cause intestinal distress. I cleaned, bleached, froze, but if anything, the problem got worse. I had heard that the military was also complaining about similar problems. Since I have switched to the new bottles, no problems. MAYBE my body was reacting to some of the chemicals?

I'm Ron Burgundy?

[bakerbarber]

Is refilling a bottle the problem?

I drink bottled water. I take a bottle to work with me every day. When it's gone I toss it in the recycle bin. I see people refill their same bottles over and over. I'd worry about germs or the chemicals in our city water releasing the plastic's chemicals.

I actually buy paper coffee cups in bulk to take my morning cup to work. Mostly because I kept bringing my nice insulated mug to work and forgetting to bring it back home. That and every mug I ever tried smelled funny. A paper cup works out great for me.

Water bottle is starting to worry me now. I have a couple nice hard plastic lab containers with lids attached by a loop strap so you can't lose it. Only thing is people tend to look at you funny when it looks like you're drinking out of a giant specimen jar.

[Osd1]

Re: Cancer and water bottles

There are two chemicals that are in plastic that make it durable (flexible) that have been strongly linked to carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Those chemicals go by the names BPA (bisphenol A), and Phthalates.

Water bottles (and all kinds of plastic bottles) also contains chemicals that has the same effect as estrogen in humans, and more estrogen is linked to higher risk of breast cancer, but also to increase of fat deposit, gynecomastia (male breasts), decrease of muscle strenght, higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and many more unwanted side effects.

That's why you should never warm up plastic (f.ex. warming up food in the microwawe on a tupperware plate) and drinking something that's been stored in plastic bottles for a long time.

I agree with doc that use of plastic bottles should be limited as much as possible.

[Snusophile]

Get a Sigg bottle! They are the best! Swiss made aluminum bottles with a protective 100% non leaching interior coating. They are indestructible and you can use them for 20+ years over and over again. They cost about $20 a bottle but the use you will get out of it is worth the investment. I've had my Sigg since 1992 and I only recently replaced mine with a newer looking one. No chemicals!

[ponysoprano]

I believe that in response to concerns, Nalgene stopped using BPA, or at least makes a BPA-free bottle.
Personal anecdote:It's funny every, environmentalist punkrocker/hippie/college kid/righteous politico friend I've ever had, is, or used to be all-about Nalgene bottles....Their parent company Nalge-Nunc makes rabbit and rodent restraint cages for animal testing of chemicals, drugs and makeup out of the very same polycarbonate used in water bottles. "How informed are you now my little idealist friends?" I asked them...then the info about BPA comes out....Oh well. Some part of my lifestyle is going to kill me, I'm already massively pre-disposed to cancer and I've been through lots of bad medical stuff and injuries. I will continue to use my 2 Nalgene bottles, at least I'm reducing waste right? I will replace them with a Sigg though, eventually.

:roll:

[ponysoprano]

Just to clear up rumors I'd heard, I did a little web research. Nalgene Outdoor is a division of Nalge Nunc, which evidently is a division of Thermo Fisher/Apogent Technologies. Which has definitely imported and/or produced animal restraint devices used for pyrogen testingand other med-lab applications. Presumably those devices have also been used in other more abhorrent forms of animal testing like chemical weapons, perfume, shampoos, makeup, hairspray etc. I'm torn, my love for, and respect of animals rules many of my life-choices. But when it comes to animal MEDICAL [not cosmetics, weapons etc, there's a fine line I know] I lean toward feeling that it may be a necessary evil. There's no doubt that if animal testing didn't exist that I would not be here to write this post, as I've had many medical challenges throughout my short life, including hardcore pulmonary problems that almost killed me twice last year. Sorry to go off, had some time on my hands tonight. And I read that Nalgene is working to completely phase-out BPA in their polycarbonate bottles and already has made these products available.

[fedora]

Klean Kanteen. Solid steel. Get the steel top if you are really worried. No internal coating (like Sigg - which is incidentally a proprietary formula they won't release).

Slighty too heavy if you are an ultralight backpacker.

Otherwise - totally awesome. Bought one a few months ago. No problems. A quick rinse or maybe some soap - all good to go again.

They are not insulated.

After reading all the reviews, this was what I went with. Not the sigg as I was concerned about the inner plastic/epoxy coating. Slightly cheaper, too.

Just my 2C

[holnrew]

I need to get a metal water bottle, I start university soon. When I carry water with me I tend to re-use plastic bottles so I need to amend that.

[ponysoprano]

I need to get a metal water bottle, I start university soon. When I carry water with me I tend to re-use plastic bottles so I need to amend that.

You're a university student! Students don't drink water, they drink alcohol!! Get a nice flask! lol :lol:

[bakerbarber]

not even a nice one. buy a nice fifth in a glass bottle. Refill that bottle as needed from the stash.

[ponysoprano]

I took fedora's rcommendation and got a Klean Kanteen 27 oz. stainless bottle with the plastic airtight top. Nalgene just started marketing their BPA-free bottles in the last year or so, so many retailers still sell the chemical-laden ones until they run out. My local store didn't have the BPA-free Nalgene's in yet and I liked Klean Kanteen's "green" commie propaganda on the tag and the card inside the bottle, plus they look cool. It's a great bottle, I use Yerba maté teabags and chilled water. Saves me from blowing 2 bux on an energy drink in the am, stays cold better than lexan or plastic. The caps have a loop with which you can use a carabiner or paracord to secure the bottle to your gear.

[snusjus]

In fact, DEHA is not inherent in the plastic used to make these bottles, and even if it was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says DEHA "cannot reasonably be anticipated to cause cancer, teratogenic effects, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, gene mutations, liver, kidney, reproductive, or developmental toxicity or other serious or irreversible chronic health effects." Meanwhile, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), says diethylhexyl adipate "is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans."


http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MED/co...er_Bottles.asp

That is not to say that bottled water is absolutely free of contaminants, nor that chemical leaching never takes place. Studies done on water bottled in FDA-approved polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for example, did find trace amounts of potentially hazardous substances believed to have migrated from the plastic. The important point to take away, however, is that these amounts were miniscule and well within the safety limits set by FDA and EPA regulators.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/med...tled-water.htm

I don't drink bottled water (I use tap water), but here is some counter information to the topic. I'm not a cancer expert, so I'm not saying it's true or false that bottled water causes cancer or other illnesses.

[reshumate]

The only proven documentation is that BPAs can cause cancer. The only type of plastic that had BPA was the #5 (look on the bottom of your container). Hard plastic. The stuff you buy from the store is #1 or #2.

I bought Camelbak BPA frees which are pretty good. Get a bit of metallic taste from metal bottles. Metal bottles are good though if you need insulation.

The main issue I think is that if you regularly buy/throw away bottled water bottles, you are filling up landfills. Do your part and drink tap water in your personal bottle, or refill larger containers at your supermarket.

[bondzai]

Maybe its better not to use plastic snus cans.... instead, cardboard or 1847s

[snusjus]

Save the environment... drink tap water!!