Home > Plastic bottles and hot liquids can be dangerous to your health
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - 10:08
Researchers at University of Cincinnati (UC) found that when the same new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles were exposed to boiling hot water, Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental estrogen, was released 55 times more rapidly than before exposure to hot water.
Previous studies have shown that scrubbing, dishwashing and boiling of polycarbonate baby bottles released BPA. Now a study shows that ‘normal’ use also increases the amount of the chemical released.
The chemical, classified as an endocrine disruptor, is widely used in products such as reusable water bottles and baby bottles and has been shown to affect reproduction and brain development in animal studies.
Dr. Scott Belcher’s team at UC simulated normal usage of used and new bottles with cool and temperate water and found that the amount of BPA released was the same. However, drastically higher levels of BPA were released once the bottles were briefly exposed to boiling water.
Even if studies can’t show exactly what level of BPA is harmful to humans, consumers should think about how cumulative environmental exposures might harm their health, especially in newborns, who are at a very sensitive stage of their development. To avoid exposing babies to a potent hormone disruptor, it's recommended that you use glass bottles instead of plastic. You can still use plastic bottles if you clean them with warm water, do not place them in the microwave, avoid putting them in the dishwasher and throw them away when the plastic is worn.
