Plastic bottles may pose threat to humans, Harvard study says

Do plastic bottles leach enough chemicals to harm us? Some studies have raised concerns about the health effects of one component, bisphenol A, suggesting it is an endocrine disrupter, which means it can interfere with reproductive growth and development. And another study, this one from Harvard, appears to confirm that bisphenol A definitely accumulates in the human body. Participants in a Harvard study who drank from polycarbonate plastic bottles for a week had an increase of Bisphenol A in their urines that was two-thirds higher than the "washout" period during which they drank liquids only from stainless steel bottles. If you are thinking you can switch to aluminum cans for your soft drinks, you should know that most of them are lined with bisphenol A, and the chemical is also present in dental sealants, dental composites and other consumer goods, such as baby bottles and toys. One of the Harvard researchers notes that if you heat the polycarbonate bottles, as in the case of those for baby's milk, even higher bisphenol A readings would be expected.

Canada has already banned bisphenol A in its soft drink containers, and some manufacturers have voluntarily removed it from their bottles. In the U.S. it may end up being regulated on a state-by-state basis. Some states are already considering a ban on bisphenol A in toddler and children's plastic glasses and "tippy cups." The Harvard study is available for free on the website of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.