Nalgene pulling bisphenol-A polycarbonate bottles off market

[MichaelJ]

From Boston.com

Hard-plastic Nalgene water bottles made with bisphenol A will be pulled from stores over the next few months because of growing consumer concern over whether the chemical poses a health risk.
Nalge Nunc International, a division of Waltham, Mass.-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., said Friday it will substitute its Nalgene Outdoor line of polycarbonate plastic containers with BPA-free alternatives.

 

[severine]

Good move. This is becoming a HUGE hot topic right now.

So how many of you have Nalgene bottles hanging around? I know Brian still uses some from before we met 13 years ago. No wonder why he acts like such a girl. I tried to switch the kids off of plastic, but it's difficult and expensive. Still, we have some Klean Kanteens and Sigg bottles in the rotation. At least they're not using plastic all the time.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

i have a Nalgene #7....what are the bad # bottles?

 

[thetrailboss]

Which bottles are "bad?"

 

[MichaelJ]

The "original polycarbonate" bottles. Clear, rigid, possibly a tinted color.
Comparison chart

 

[severine]

#7s are the bad ones. The only non-#7 Nalgene type bottles I've seen recently were at REI (and had a bright sticker on them to tell you such - I believe they were Camelback bottles).

ETA: Actually, REI has a lot of alternatives.

 

[wa-loaf]

Good move. This is becoming a HUGE hot topic right now.

So how many of you have Nalgene bottles hanging around? I know Brian still uses some from before we met 13 years ago. No wonder why he acts like such a girl. I tried to switch the kids off of plastic, but it's difficult and expensive. Still, we have some Klean Kanteens and Sigg bottles in the rotation. At least they're not using plastic all the time.

My wife switched us over to stainless steel bottles last year. They even make sippy cups for the kids. We have a few from Kleen Kanteen and Guyot. Got ours here: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/r....html?osCsid=7d8285b0412cae643e4d525d5db9dcdb

I use one of the big nalgene sized Guyots. Only negative about it is that it instantly takes on the temp of whatever you put in it. A bit heavier than the Nalgene too.

 

[severine]

Reusablebags.com is where I got most of mine. Though we do have a local baby boutique that carries them, too. We have 1 sippy Klean Kanteen, 2 kids' size Kleen Kanteen bottles with sport tops, 2 kids' size Sigg bottles with sport tops (we had 4...2 went missing), and I have 2 Siggs as well.

 

[mondeo]

I'll continue to use mine. Sounds like another overreaction to me:

only provide "limited evidence" of risk

Citing multiple studies in the United States, Europe and Japan, the chemicals industry maintains that polycarbonate bottles contain little BPA and leach traces considered too low to harm humans

the potential for BPA to impact human health is a concern, and more research is clearly needed

I get the feeling I'm 1000x more likely to die from skiing into a tree than from a BPA-induced condition from my Nalgene. And I don't do tree skiing. It seems to me like people are more and more concerned about every little thing that might possibly affect their health; it reminds me of the CT win for life ad, where all the win for life recipients are clad in armor in order to live longer. What's the point? You're going to die sometime, of something. No, I'm not going to go around rolling a ball of lead in my hand or drinking mercury. But at the same time, I'm not going to worry about a chemical that possibly exists in trace amounts, and could possibly leach into my water, of which laboratory administered quantities showed some impact on lab rats.

Everything I do involves some risk. This is one I'm not particularly worried about.

 

[severine]

I'm actually more concerned with the fact that BPA mimics estrogen. Hence my joke that Brian is a real girl for using his old Nalgene bottles. It's not that I fear it will kill any of us. Just that the potential hormonal imbalance will cause other health problems. As someone who already deals with hormonal imbalances due to PCOS, I take this seriously.

 

[severine]

Here's one resource:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/bisphenol-a-overview

What's interesting is that in this source, it states that women with PCOS have higher levels of BPA in their system. Becomes a question of the chicken or the egg, IMHO... did the BPA trigger PCOS? Did PCOS predispose to retaining higher levels? Interesting...

Also of note: Type II diabetes, obesity, low sperm count.... Once again, it's not that it's one of those "this will kill you" things, not the way I've read about it. It's more that it can cause (or accelerate?) health problems, which will diminish quality of life.

 

[Greg]

I'll continue to use mine. Sounds like another overreaction to me:

I get the feeling I'm 1000x more likely to die from skiing into a tree than from a BPA-induced condition from my Nalgene. And I don't do tree skiing. It seems to me like people are more and more concerned about every little thing that might possibly affect their health; it reminds me of the CT win for life ad, where all the win for life recipients are clad in armor in order to live longer. What's the point? You're going to die sometime, of something. No, I'm not going to go around rolling a ball of lead in my hand or drinking mercury. But at the same time, I'm not going to worry about a chemical that possibly exists in trace amounts, and could possibly leach into my water, of which laboratory administered quantities showed some impact on lab rats.

Everything I do involves some risk. This is one I'm not particularly worried about.

+1

I will continue to drink copious amounts of alcohol hoping to dilute and flush all this stuff out of my system...

 

[MichaelJ]

Boston Globe Article

Doesn't really say anything we don't already know, of course.

 

[Paul]

+1

I will continue to drink copious amounts of alcohol hoping to dilute and flush all this stuff out of my system...

I find your theory interesting and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

[MichaelJ]

{digression}

Repo Man! Love the avatar, Paul.

{/digression}

 

[Paul]

{digression}

Repo Man! Love the avatar, Paul.

{/digression}

Thanks. Find one in every car, you'll see...

 

[wa-loaf]

BPA free:

 

[drjeff]

BPA free:

For the longest time growing up I used to thing that bota bags were actually mini-bag pipes Then again I am 1/4 scotch (the blood kind, not the liquid kind {most days atleast} )