How BPAs get in our water and what to do about it
Don’t you love canned food? It’s so convenient. Helps you make a meal in a jiffy.
But, did you know the lining inside the food can, can be toxic? Wait, what?
Yes, and you can’t see it…
BPA in water is found mainly in clear water bottles, baby bottles and other hard, shatter-resistant plastics.
Plastic is ubiquitous, we use it for pretty much everything in our daily lives
Bisphenol A, better known as BPA, is an industrial chemical used in the production of plastic and resins.
Often used specifically in polycarbonate plastic, it is found in food containers, beverage bottles and other consumer goods.
BPA is also used in epoxy resins, found lining metal packaging such as food cans, soup and fish cans, beer and soda cans, bottle tops and other products with long shelf-life.
Choose BPA-free water bottles if you want plastic. Better yet, get glass bottles for hydration on the go. It's the best material for storing water.Water has been bottled in polycarbonate gallon bottles as the industry standard
According to the Mayo Clinic, the concern over BPA is due to possible detrimental health effects on the brain and behavior of fetuses, infants and small children. Many studies indicate that BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which means it changes the way your body’s hormones work (particularly affecting young children).
The FDA, after combing through hundreds of studies, has not found this harmful in the low levels that occur in some foods.
However, in 2012, the FDA amended its regulations and no longer provides for the use pf BPA-based polycarbonate resins in baby bottles and sippy cups.
In 2013, it went even further and decided towards abandoning BPA-based epoxy resins as coatings in packaging for infant formula.
But how about the rest of us? And our pets?
Estrogen is the hormone most hit by BPA, it is used in the body to grow and repair organs and tissues, for fetal development and cell structure and of course, for female reproductive system. BPA is not immediately toxic to the body, but its harm is more subtle and pervasive.
One of the difficulties in researching the health effects of BPA is time. Conclusive finding may take years to show up because the effects can only materialize later in an individual’s life, so we need generations to build-up the scientific research.
Another challenge is government policy.
According to How Stuff Works, Canada has declared BPA a toxic chemical and the European Union is requiring companies to prove that a chemical is safe before it has cleared for market.
On the contrary, in the US, companies are only required to provide proof when a chemical is deemed not safe.
Water served at restaurants are usually served from bottles that have stored water for prolonged periods of time and under harsh temperatures.But not all plastics are a source of BPA
However, check your pantry for this one important mark. It’s the tell-tale sign of BPA.
Plastic containers with No.7 stamp contain BPA.
To be on the safe side, use BPA-free products.
What’s more, find out about clean water here and learn a little-known secret of bottled water, multinationals don’t want you to know this.
You can also learn about reverse osmosis and how it purifies water but leaves it flat. Or about the benefits of alkaline water and what type of filters make this happen, albeit artificially.
Contact us to get more information about high-tech, full-spectrum water filtration systems. We have the best.
Back to Home Page
Back to Tap Water Contaminants
Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Food additives petitions – regulatiosn amended, www.fda.gov
Mayo Clinic, What is BPA?, www.mayoclinic.org
Science, How Stuff Works, What’s BPA and do I really need a new water bottle?, https://science,howstuffworks.com
Scientific American, Just how harmful are bisphenol A plastics? (PDF)
