Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Polycarbonate bottle raises questions

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Catching his breath at a fitness club, Matt McHugh took a gulp of water from his trusty, hard-plastic Nalgene bottle and pondered the idea of switching to an alternative made of glass, stainless steel or another kind of plastic.

Worries about a hormone-mimicking chemical 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.
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Vancouver-based Mountain Equipment Co-op is waiting for Canadian health regulators to finish a preliminary review in May before it reconsiders restocking its 11 stores with the reusable, transparent bottles made with bisphenol A, or BPA, a compound created by a Russian chemist in 1891.

There is little dispute that the chemical can disrupt the hormonal system, but scientists differ markedly on whether very low doses found in food and beverage containers can be harmful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sides with the plastics industry that BPA-based products do not pose a health risk.

However, an expert panel of researchers reported at a U.S. government conference that the potential for BPA to affect human health is a concern, and more research is needed. The panel cited evidence that Americans have levels of BPA higher than those found to cause harm in lab animals.

Well thats just great. One of my favorite pieces of gear and it may be trying to kill me. Sure there are stainless and aluminum bottles out there but I will bet you money that they cannnot take the brutal abuse I can inflict upon my Nalgene bottle.

Nah, I’m sticking with my Nalgene bottle. The risk associated with it is worth it for its reliability and durability. Whats next? CamelBack reservoirs ccontain PCB’s?