Drinking Water from Plastic Bottles Increases Toxic BPA Levels

Drinking water and other beverages from plastic bottles made with the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) increases urinary levels of the toxic chemical by nearly 70%, according to a study by researchers from Harvard University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study was conducted on 77 student volunteers. The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high-production-volume chemical commonly used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic. Low-level concentrations of BPA in animals and possibly in humans is believed to cause endocrine disruption. Whether ingestion of food or beverages from polycarbonate containers increases BPA concentrations in humans had not been previously studied. Now it has been proved to increase levels in the body.

BPA makes plastics hard and transparent. It is widely used in plastic drinking bottles, infant bottles and other consumer products, and also in resins that line cans of food and infant formula. The chemical has been shown to disrupt the hormonal system, potentially leading to reproductive defects as well as brain damage, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.

Nine researchers conducted a nonrandomized intervention of 77 Harvard College students to compare urinary BPA concentrations collected after a washout phase of 1 week to those taken after an intervention week during which most cold beverages were consumed from polycarbonate drinking bottles. Paired t-tests were used to assess the difference in urinary BPA concentrations before and after polycarbonate bottle use.

One week of polycarbonate bottle use increased urinary BPA concentrations by two-thirds. Regular consumption of cold beverages from polycarbonate bottles is associated with a substantial increase in urinary BPA concentrations irrespective of exposure to BPA from other sources.

The state of Minnesota has banned the use of BPA in food containers intended for children three and younger, as have Chicago and New York's Suffolk County. California and Connecticut are also considering banning the substance

Major retailers, including Toys R' Us, Wal-Mart, Nalgene, Gerber, Playtex and others, have agreed to phase out the chemical in some countries. The Environmental Working Group has published a guide to BPA-free baby bottles and formulas, which can be found at www.ewg.org/babysafe.