Hot Liquids Release Potentially Harmful Chemicals in Polycarbonate Plastic Bottles

30 January 2008

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have discovered that the chemical Bisphenol A, which is found in polycarbonate plastic bottles (and also a number of other manufactured products), leeches out of the plastic and into the liquid inside when the bottles are heated.

Scott Belcher, PhD, and his team found that this effect with the leeching out of the Bisphenol A (BPA) into the liquid happened to both old and new plastic bottles at a rate of 55 times more than when the bottle was not heated.

“Previous studies have shown that if you repeatedly scrub, dish-wash and boil polycarbonate baby bottles, they release BPA. That tells us that BPA can migrate from various polycarbonate plastics,” explains Belcher, UC associate professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics and corresponding study author. “But we wanted to know if ‘normal’ use caused increased release from something that we all use, and to identify what was the most important factor that impacts release.”

“Inspired by questions from the climbing community, we went directly to tests based on how consumers use these plastic water bottles and showed that the only big difference in exposure levels revolved around liquid temperature: Bottles used for up to nine years released the same amount of BPA as new bottles.”

BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which means it alters the function of the endocrine system by mimicking the body's natural hormones (which are released by endocrine glands).

BPA is widely used in re-usable water and other drink bottles, food can linings, chip packet linings, water pipes and dental sealants and has been shown to adversely affect reproduction in women and brain development in babies and small children.

“There is a large body of scientific evidence demonstrating the harmful effects of very small amounts of BPA in laboratory and animal studies, but little clinical evidence related to humans,” explains Belcher. “There is a very strong suspicion in the scientific community, however, that this chemical has harmful effects on humans.”

Belcher stresses that it is still unclear what level of BPA is harmful to humans. He urges consumers to think about how cumulative environmental exposures might harm their health.

“BPA is just one of many estrogen-like chemicals people are exposed to, and scientists are still trying to figure out how these endocrine disruptors—including natural phyto-estrogens from soy which are often considered healthy—collectively impact human health,” he says. “But a growing body of scientific evidence suggests it might be at the cost of your health.”


Resources
University of Cincinnati - Health News (full article)