Eau de Plastic

Readers have been asking whether they should or shouldn't drink from #1 PETE bottles. Below we've culled information and suggestions from the latest research on the topic. We have also recently updated our product report "Plastics For Kitchen Use" to reflect the current state of research into leaching from different types of plastic.

A Reader asks The Green Guide:

Hi I've been reading up on water bottles that leach chemicals lately and was wondering if you could recommend one that is safe to reuse. I was at Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) and noticed that their most popular water bottle had the no. 7 on the bottom. Isn't that supposed to be one of the worst plastics for leaching?

Thanks J.

The Green Guide Responds:

You are right. Polycarbonate plastics, those in the no. 7 bottle, contain bisphenol-A, a known hormone disruptor which can dissolve into water. This is no small matter, since hormone disruptors are chemicals that interfere with the way hormones guide fetal development and later growth. As reported in Current Biology April 1, 2003, bisphenol-A exposure in pregnant mice resulted in errors in fetal cell division, though researchers caution that the same may not happen in humans. REI confirms that the #7 Nalgene bottle, composed of the polycarbonate Lexan, is their most popular. According to the Our Stolen Future website, leaching of bisphenol-A increases with the plastic's age and when subject to heat, but the website also notes that Lexan may be chemically different from standard polycarbonate plastic and less subject to leaching, though they have no evidence for this.

Plastics are classified by recycling codes that indicate the resin used in their manufacture as follows:

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)
#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)
#5 polypropylene (PP)
#6 polystyrene (PS)
#7 other (usually polycarbonate)

Unfortunately, other plastics also leach toxins, or produce them in their manufacture or disposal. It's long been known that production of #3 PVC vinyl releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment and #6 polystyrene can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen which may also disrupt hormones. #1 PETE has generally been considered the safest plastic bottle choice. In one Italian study, the amount of DEHP, an endocrine-disrupting phthalate and a probable human carcinogen, in bottled spring water was found to increase after 9 months of storage in a PET bottle. However, it is unclear whether the levels detected could harm people drinking the water.

In any event, reused water bottles also make good breeding grounds for bacteria since thorough cleaning is difficult, as confirmed in a study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health in September/October 2002.

In conclusion, cautious consumers would be well-advised to choose rigid, reusable containers or, for hot/acidic liquids, thermoses with stainless steel or ceramic interiors. And the sniff test doesn't hurt: If you can smell or taste the plastic in a bottle, toss it in the recycling bin and get yourself a new one.

For more on plastics available, see Plastics For Kitchen Use Product Report.

This article has been revised since its initial publication.