How harmful is it to drink from a plastic water bottle?

How harmful is it to drink from a plastic water bottle?

source Slow Dance Journal Blog - WordPress.com

edited by kcontents

A recent study into a substance linked to low birth weight in newborns shows, again, that drinking from plastic bottles – and reusing them – can be dangerous.

There is a growing appetite for reusable food and drink storage products that are safe to use. You only have to visit your local supermarket to see some of these products screaming "BPA-free" on their accompanying labels. After all, it's ridiculous (economically and environmentally) to constantly buy bottled water only to throw the bottle away each time. And even if you end up reusing those bottles, they could still potentially be harmful due to the leaching of chemicals into the water.

New research published in Environment International shows pregnant women exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) in high doses can potentially lead to low birth weight (LBW) in newborn children. BPA, first introduced in the Fifties, is used in the manufacturing of everyday plastics such as food containers, goggles, helmets, paper receipts, and the coating of metal tins and cans used to store food. Because of its wide use, almost everyone carries the compound in their blood at varying levels. 

The investigators analysed urine samples collected from the mother after delivery, and information on the newborns was collected using their birth certificates. A total of 452 mother-infant pairs took part in the study, which was carried out between 2012-2014. LBW babies made up 113 of these pairs, whereas the remaining 339 were matched controls. 

BPA has been shown as toxic in humans in previous studies. For example, the substance is known to be disruptive to the endocrine system, or the hormonal system, through the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a large gland in the neck, regulating growth by secreting hormones.

The compound has been implicated in the increased occurrence of obesity, where urine analysis was also used to compare BPA exposure with body mass index measurements. It's also been shown to affect brain and behavioural development in children. 

Another recent study shows similar correlation between BPA and LBW newborns, and that the link is more pronounced in baby girls. Led by Dr Almudena Veiga-Lopez of Michigan State University, this particular experiment tested the mother's blood for the substance during the first trimester, at the time of delivery and also from the umbilical cord after delivery. The tests were carried out to show levels for BPA and conjugated BPA, the form of the substance once it's been processed by the body.

The findings show for every two-fold increase in BPA in the mother's blood, babies (both male and female) weighed an average 55g less, but up to 183g less in female pregnancies. 

http://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/technology/2015/10/how-harmful-it-drink-plastic-water-bottle

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