The Danger of Plastic Bottles
The Danger of Plastic Bottles
The Danger of Plastic Bottles
While consuming bottled water is way of getting your daily dose of water in a convenient way, they can be rather costly. Not only to your pocket, but to your health as well. Do you know why?
Well, bottled water can come in various shapes and sizes and is made from different types of plastics. There are seven types of plastics, six of them are used for bottling water.
You can find out what type of plastic is being used by referring to the bottom of the container where a number denotes what type of plastic is used.
Knowing what kind of plastic is being used to hold your water allows you to make healthy and environmentally friendly choices. The problem with plastic water bottles is that not enough research has been done. Many reports and researchers have stated that plastic is bad for you, while others say it will do no harm. So what are you to believe? The best way to know what is good and bad for you is to be well informed. Each plastic has a corresponding number that in universally known.
Number one is PETE or more commonly known as PET. PETE stands for polyethylene terephthalate. This plastic is very strong and durable, making it very mobile. It's also clear and allows protection from leakage, gas and moisture. This plastic is usually used for soft drinks, sports drinks, water, juice and milk. In other words, this type of plastic is probably the one you use on daily basis.
Another plastic used often is number two, high density polyethylene (HDPE). This plastic is denser than PETE, making it a better candidate for substances that spoil easily. This is the plastic you find holding milk or bottled fruit, as well as detergent and bleach products. The problem with both of these plastics is that over time, antimony is leached into whatever the container is holding. This chemical has been shown to cause slower development of children and reproduction problems in women.
In number one, dipthalate (DEHP) also leaches out of the plastic. Studies have shown DEHP as an endocrine disruptor and having strong links to cancer. In fact, Europe banned DEHP from use in plastic toys for children under the age of three. The longer these plastics are allowed to sit, the more chemicals are leached into your water.
Number three is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is very flexible, which is why it is usually used when the liquid or food it is holding is known to contract or expand. Unfortunately, PVC is the most dangerous plastic you can use in bottling water. Like number one, PVC leaches DEHP. In addition, PVC can also leach butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), which is also closely linked to cancer.
Plastics number four and five are considered the "safe" plastics. Number four is low density polyethylene (LDPE) and number five is polypropylene (PP). LDPE is a thin plastic usually used as a waxy moisture barrier, or as a heat sealer due to its low melting point. PP is the opposite of LDPE in that it has a very high melting point. This is why it is used for items that carry high levels of heat. Being able to withstand high levels of heat is great because it prevents the leaching of chemicals into your water, unlike the other plastics that are highly susceptible to heat. In fact, most doctors warn women to use water bottles only once, and to never store them or leave them in heated areas as it increases the risk of breast cancer.
The last category of plastic is number seven. Number seven means the plastic used is either a combination of two or more of the previously mentioned plastics, or that the plastic used does not fit into any of the previously mentioned plastic categories. This plastic can be good or bad, depending on its qualities. Polycarbonate for example, is used in many containers and is considered highly dangerous, while biodegradable bio-based plastics are good for the environment. Both of these are number seven plastics. More often than not, your water bottle will be noted with a "7" on the bottom.
The only way to really be safe is to not use plastic water bottles. Use stainless steel containers instead. But then again aluminium containers have it's disadvantage too. Aluminium is usually closely related to Alzheimer's disease.
Therefore, we should stop buying water bottles and invest in a good water filtration system, like a water ionizer, and a stainless steel container so that the water that we consumed won't do bodily harm to our bodies.
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