Chemical in Plastic Water Bottles May Pose Health Hazard

Chemical in Plastic Water Bottles May Pose Health Hazard

The only accessory that seems more pervasive in today’s world than a cell phone is the plastic water bottle. Everyone seems to carrying one around. Health concerns have been raised about radiation from mobile devices, and similarly, plastic bottles are now coming under scrutiny. Brushing aside questions about the chemicals in those bottles, federal health authorities recently declared the bottles safe. However, it seems like a national policy change is in the making, although regulators have, for now, stopped short of an outright ban.

The Food and Drug Administration has reversed its position on the safety of Bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastic bottles, soda cans, food containers and thousands of consumer goods, saying it now has concerns about health risks.

Growing scientific evidence has linked the chemical to a host of problems, including cancer, sexual dysfunction and heart disease. Federal officials said they are particularly concerned about BPA’s effect on the development of fetuses, infants and young children.

“We have some concern, which leads us to recommend reasonable steps the public can take to reduce exposure to BPA,” said…FDA’s deputy commissioner…

The FDA is conducting more BPA testing before it makes a further determination about whether to pull it off the market.  More than 90 percent of the U.S. population apparently has traces of BPA in its urine according to the Centers for Disease Control.  BPA (which is used to harden plastics) is said to leach from containers into food and beverages, even at cold temperatures.