There has been a lot of reader attention to an article written by a previous editor re: Nalgene water bottles might be toxic, as well as direct feedback that perhaps this article was based on research later found to be flawed. In essence, the article in question suggested that you should toss all water bottles made of number 7 and number 1 plastics because they can leach harmful chemicals. Recent studies suggest there is no worry.

I did a quick scan of my newest Nalgene water bottles (all 7’s) and immediately wanted to know more. I thought you might be interested as well, so here are a few updated links and tidbits of information on the topic.

On their website, Nalgene states that “based on the findings of the Food and Drug Administration, The Environmental Protection Agency, The American Plastics Council and other reliable sources from around the world, we continue to firmly believe in the safety of our products.”

Nalgene provides a useful page of links to recent information about polycarbonate plastic and bisphenol A (a synthetic chemical compound made from a reaction of phenol and acetone and used in the manufacture of plastics, like those found in some water bottles).

You can learn more about the compound in question at the Bisphenol-A Website, but do note that the site is sponsored the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association.

The Canadian Government has just begun a risk assessment of selected chemicals, BPA included. According to the Chemical Substances page, “current data indicate that exposure to Bisphenol A is less than Health Canada's provisional tolerable daily intake (reference exposure level), including exposures resulting from food packaging materials, dental sealants and restorative materials. However, a re-assessment of those exposures will be conducted following receipt of any new information submitted…”

Check out the links, stay informed and I’ll do my best to pass on any new information as I find it – I have a feeling the debate on this issue is far from over. For the moment though, I’m not tossing any water bottles … well, maybe those that leak!