My toxic water bottles

Ignorance isn't bliss, it's just better than knowing

Posted by Eric de Place (Guest Contributor) at 11:55 PM on 08 Dec 2007

Read more about: health | toxics

It's well known in environmental advocacy that people can easily be overwhelmed by problems. They wind up feeling paralyzed rather than motivated. I've always treated this as a theoretical point about communications, but I've had to admit that I'm an example. Here's how.

Mountain Equipment Co-op, (aka "the REI of Canada"), just pulled from shelves a batch of polycarbonate plastics, including those ubiquitous Nalgene bottles. According to an article in the Globe and Mail:

The plastic in question is made mostly from bisphenol A, which mimics estrogen and is derived from petrochemicals. It has been linked in dozens of independent research studies to illnesses that could be caused by hormone disruption.

I've known about the research for years, but I use those products, including the problematic Nalgene bottles, a lot. (I'm a semi-rabid hiker, backpacker, and mountain climber.) Over the last couple of years alone, I'll bet I've guzzled hundreds of gallons of water from those bottles while on the trail. My bottles are old and battered, and the plastic is degraded by sunlight, heat, and ice.

Is this bad for me? What are the potential health effects? I don't know. I keep ignoring the research. And I literally -- literally -- cannot get myself to finish reading the Globe and Mail article.

For story: My toxic water bottles
9 Comments | Post a Comment

Ostrich syndrome

I can attest to going through a bit of nalgene ostrich-head-in-the-sand syndrome. Frankly, I can only worry about so much.

by danielg7 at 6:49 AM on 09 Dec 2007

Answer is simple...

There are plenty of bisphenol A water-bottle alternatives out there. Just go out and buy some. It's not particularly expensive.

by Tasermons Partner at 8:33 AM on 09 Dec 2007

Switch from the Nalgene bottles to Stainless Steel

http://www.amazon.com/Klean-Kanteen-Loop-Cap-27/dp/B000FN ...

http://www.guyotdesigns.com/stainlessbottles?sc=11

The ones from GuyotDesigns have the same size "mouth" so all of your Nalgene accessories will work. I can't vouch for if the Klean-Kanteen will though.

by tnrkitect at 9:56 AM on 09 Dec 2007

nalgenes

I use old soda and poweraid. bottles when backpacking. They are much lighter than nalgenes. Heck, just about every time i go into town I buy a soda or poweraid any way.

by cheflovesbeer at 10:53 AM on 09 Dec 2007

Smelly bottles

A bit off-topic, I know, but has anyone else noticed a nasty odor emanating from water in Nalgene or other recycle type 7 bottles?
It occurs typically after use and when the bottle has been kept capped. If uncapped the smell dissipates. It's slight but quite off-putting and I'm hard pressed to decide between "Bacteria" and "Incredibly ugly toxic chemical stuff".
And no, its not just me and mouthwash failure. My wife's bottle does the same thing. Doesn't bother her in the least. (Yeeeech!)

by crotchety1 at 4:48 PM on 09 Dec 2007

Ouch

Our microwave-safe containers are not.

We have hard Rubbermaid and other Tupperware-like containers, now in the trash, that had 7s on the bottom. Grist just saved our hormones.

Thanks!
Cassandra.

by sunflower at 7:45 PM on 09 Dec 2007

go stainless steel

We threw out all our plastic bottles six months ago, and replaced them with the Klean Kanteen ones. They're fabulous. Just do it.

I found this to be a very helpful resource:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=44

by Easterbunny at 9:14 AM on 10 Dec 2007

Relative cause for concern

I'd worry about this particular issue much more if I were a woman who was planning to get pregnant, rather than a man who isn't planning to breed at all.

I would also worry much more about exposing children to these chemicals, than I do with adults: their developing bodies are probably much more responsive to hormones than a mature body is.

Also, bear in mind basic reaction chemistry: The amount of leaching that happens is determined by a rate constant, which is a strong function of temperature. So I avoid putting hot liquids into plastic (of any sort), and I avoid letting water sit in plastic bottles for long periods of time.

I think that with these measures, whatever exposure I'm likely to get falls below the minimum threshold of my concern. That is, it may be bad for me, but I've got bigger threats in my local environment.

by GreenEngineer at 10:11 AM on 10 Dec 2007

I agree with GreenEngineer

I suppose it is a bit of ostrich behavior, but since we have over a dozen Nalgenes, and being avid hikers/bikers/climbers, we use them all the time, I simply try to be careful about using cold, filtered water, keeping them out of direct sunlight, washing them frequently in hot, soapy water, and not letting water sit around in them for ages (water festering in the bottom of my climbing pack for 2 weeks is never the tastiest anyway).

I've tried a Sigg bottle, but I get a metallic taste, the paint & designs scrape off after a couple of climbs, they cost at least $20/bottle, and the lid is not attached, which makes it quite easy to go tumbling off the cliff mid-swig. Maybe Nalgene will start making a Lexan bottle (for the durability) lined with a lesser-evil plastic like HDPE.

by kmp at 12:47 PM on 10 Dec 2007

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