How to Tell if Your Water Bottle has BPA
The safety of reusing soft and hard plastic bottles lately because of Bisphenol A, also known as BPA. Recent studies have shown that BPA mimics the hormones in our bodies which can lead to abnormalities in the prostate and mammary glands. Tests have show that it can also contribute to weight gain, breast cancer, prostate cancer and even an early onset of puberty.
BPA is present in all kinds of plastic bottles, including baby bottles which have led concerned parents looking for alternatives in an effort to protect their children from harm BPA may potentially cause. Here’s how you can identify the presence of BPA and what you can do to protect you and your family.
Look at the underside of the plastic bottle or container that you’re using. Inside the recycling symbol, there should be a number in it. If it has the number 7, it means that the plastic bottle was made with BPA.
Keep in mind that the number 7 doesn’t specifically mean that the plastic contains BPA. It simply means that it doesn’t have recycling material, and that it was made with different kinds of mixed plastics. It may be called polycarbonate, polysulfone or lexan. These are clear plastic types that are usually used in baby bottles.
If you’re still not convinced, you can call the plastic manufacturer and inquire whether your plastic bottles are polycarbonate, or investigate online.
Protecting Your Family
Plastic bottles have become a part of our daily lives, so it’s admittedly hard to imagine what you would do without them. Fortunately, there are some ways you can do to protect your family from the potential ill effects of BPA.
Replace all your plastic tools, bottles and utensils with those made with glass, ceramics or metal when you can.
Go for baby bottles made with polyethylene plastic, which have the numbers 1, 2 and 4 printed inside the recycling sign under the bottles’ bottoms.
Polypropylene is also a good plastic alternative, that comes with the number 5.
Colored plastics are usually BPA-free.
When using polycarbonate plastic, don’t expose them to high heat. Which means, no cleaning using the dishwasher and no boiling in hot water. This could be problematic for baby bottles.
Thankfully, baby shops are already responding to the problem presented by BPA bottles. Look for shops that offer bottles that contain absolutely no BPA.