February 26, 2008

Avoid Hot Beverages in Plastic Bottles

The harmful effects of Bisphenol-A (BPA) have been known for some time now. A study released last month by the University of Cincinnati released states that BPA leaching from plastic containers increases greatly with hot liquids. According to Globe and Mail,

The finding suggests that parents sterilizing polycarbonate baby bottles by heating them in water or in a microwave may be inadvertently increasing the amount of the estrogen-mimicking chemical leaching from the containers. It also indicates hikers who use the bottles as a thermos to store hot tea or liquids may be doing the same. The addition of boiling water increased BPA migration rates by up to 55-fold compared with water at room temperature...

If you are a coffee or tea drinker, try using a stainless steel travel mug. This is a great option to use instead of wasteful, paper/styrofoam cups and is a safer alternative to reusable plastic mugs and bottles. This mug is made with fair labor practices, including paying fair wages.

For children and babies, try the Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup and the Born Free Baby Bottles.

More:
Treehugger- "Hot Water + Polycarbonate Bottles = More Gender-Benders"
Z Recommends- "Breaking News: Boiling Water Increases BPA Leaching by Factor of 55"
Z Recommends- "The Z Report on BPA in Children's Feeding Products, Third Edition"