Is It Dangerous to Love Your Nalgene?

by WiredBerries Editors — January 18, 2008

CNN reports that those hard-plastic Nalgene bottles that are supposedly indestructible and are ubiquitous on college campuses have sparked controversy. Worries about a hormone-mimicking chemical, BPA, used in the trendy sports accessory led a major Canadian retailer to remove Nalgene and other polycarbonate plastic containers from store shelves in early December. Patagonia pulled polycarbonate water bottles from its 40 stores worldwide in 2005.

There is little dispute that BPA can disrupt the hormonal system, which is found in dental sealants, CDs, and DVDs. However, it is undetermined whether the amount used in hard-plastic water bottles is dangerous. The FDA stated its position: "BPA has been used in consumer products for over 50 years. In that time, there has been no evidence that BPA is harmful to humans, either as the result of dietary intake or industrial worker exposures." The debate is just getting started...