Nalgene pulling bisphenol-A polycarbonate bottles off market

[Lou Hale]

And nearly everyone in my family looked at me funny when I drove all over the place 6 years ago looking for GLASS baby bottles for the newborn. They were darn hard to find, but I found them at a Babies 'R Us 50 miles from home. I didn't know about BPA at the time. I just got a bad feeling about the way food gets absorbed into plastics, especially when heated in a plastic container, and opted to keep the kids away from plastics as much as was practical during their early development.

Smitty

I had this battle only six months ago. Call me a bad dog dad but now the nalgenes are used mostly for her water which thanks to ED she can now carry her self

 

[Chip]

Good article on A23 of Wall St Journal today that relates to all this. It's by one of the founders of Greenpeace, Patrick Moore, about why he left the group in 1986. Greenpeace had decided to support a worldwide ban on chlorine, even though science showed "adding chlorine to drinking water was the biggest advance in the history of public health, virtually eradicating water borne diseases, such as cholera." The article goes on to discuss other of the groups efforts regarding polyvinyl chloride and phthalates like diisononyl phthalate (DINP). His point is that much of the hysteria is not based on scientific evidence, that the solution may be worse than the "problem" and that environmental stewardship requires that "science, not political agendas, drive our public policies."

 

[griffin]

His point is that much of the hysteria is not based on scientific evidence, that the solution may be worse than the "problem" and that environmental stewardship requires that "science, not political agendas, drive our public policies."

A very valid point, indeed, but going to the other extreme and being dismissive of all concerns - even in the face of growing scientific evidence - is no more logical or rational than the hysteria.

I'm not ready to toss my Nalgene's yet, but given the new studies I don't think I'd put people's apprehension about them down to hysteria or a knee-jerk reaction.

 

[Chip]

I don't think I'd put people's apprehension about them down to hysteria or a knee-jerk reaction.

I should have put hysteria in quotes, that was his word. He was describing knee jerk reactions though, like banning a chemical before a safe alternative had been researched properly.

 

[Paradox]

I should have put hysteria in quotes, that was his word. He was describing knee jerk reactions though, like banning a chemical before a safe alternative had been researched properly.

Welcome to my world, and the public reaction to dental amalgam.

 

[MichaelJ]

Today's Hot Topic

Boston Globe Article

Doesn't really say anything we don't already know, of course.

 

[--M.]

When we are studied by archeologists, they'll point to a sub-layer among the plastic strata and say "This is where the polycarbonates were banned, and they were all thrown away at the same time."

We are a wacky species.

Now I'm going to go get a drink of water, so I can get my doses of unknown pharmaceuticals.

See ya when I have boobs,

--Still male (for now)

 

[king tut]

Your cell phone will give you a head tumor far before the water bottle will take you down. As far as me, I am going to smoke a cigarette while drinking a beer in my nalgene bottle while talking on the phone. I like to live dangerously.

 

[Remix]

It Begins

 

[RoySwkr]

If you don't want to risk drinking from a Nalgene bottle, recycle it as a supposedly-waterproof summit register or geocache

 

[Maddy]

Your cell phone will give you a head tumor far before the water bottle will take you down. As far as me, I am going to smoke a cigarette while drinking a beer in my nalgene bottle while talking on the phone. I like to live dangerously.

Way to go King Tut!!!

 

[Double Bow]

No wonder I went from an A cup to a B recently!

So... uh... when are we sharing a tent again???

 

[Jasper]

10 Things not to worry about.

NYT Science section lists BPA as the #6 thing not to worry about. See article at the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/science/29tier.html

 

[beverly]

F.D.A. to Reconsider Plastic Bottle Risk

Back in the news. I didn't realize that BPA was also in the vast majority of the 22 billion cans used for food and 100 billion cans used for soft drinks and <gulp> beer!

The F.D.A.’s draft risk assessment in August, finding the chemical safe as it is now used, stood out against a tide of recent scientific opinion. The National Toxicology Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has said there was reason to be concerned that BPA, as the chemical is called, could harm the brain, behavior and the prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children. Canada added the chemical to its list of toxic substances this year and has said it will ban BPA from polycarbonate baby bottles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/dining/24chem.html?_r=1&ref=health

The F.D.A.’s science board subcommittee on BPA, however, after receiving comments from an independent advisory panel, determined that the F.D.A. was wrong to disregard the large body of research showing health effects even at extremely low doses. The agency’s decision to reconsider was made public earlier this month.

Go stainless or BPA-free!

 

[Tom Rankin]

Back in the news. I didn't realize that BPA was also in the vast majority of the 22 billion cans used for food and 100 billion cans used for soft drinks and <gulp> beer!

The solution is not to drink beer out of cans! I can only think of 1 beer that I like in cans, Dale's Pale Ale.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Thanks for the update. BPA in Nalgene and Camelback water bottles is now ancient history. I even gave in recently and bought 2 new Nalgenes, but I'm not giving up my cans of Blue!

 

[Sastrugi]

I've poured boiling water into (1) liter Nalgene bottles and inserted them into insulated water bottle parkas for years, to create "hot bottles" for winter climbing and camping. I've noticed that my older clear Nalgene bottles have not cracked or otherwise degraded, despite freezing them solid a few times, and I still use them. But more recently, I purchased three bottles tinted green and the bottles have all cracked, two at the lip, and one on the side.

Has anyone else exerienced this with tinted Nalgene bottles?

 

[DougPaul]

I've poured boiling water into (1) liter Nalgene bottles and inserted them into insulated water bottle parkas for years, to create "hot bottles" for winter climbing and camping. I've noticed that my older clear Nalgene bottles have not cracked or otherwise degraded, despite freezing them solid a few times, and I still use them. But more recently, I purchased three bottles tinted green and the bottles have all cracked, two at the lip, and one on the side.

Has anyone else exerienced this with tinted Nalgene bottles?

Which kind of plastic? HDPE or polycarbonate?


Nalgene is a brand--they make/have made bottles from at least 3 kinds of plastic.

Doug

 

[pks4000]

Go Light and Easy. WATER IS THE CATALST!

Apparently its the amount of time water is in the Nalgene that causes increasing amounts of the chemical to leach out. Its called a bihydrational reaction

Our BMT climbing group has long endorsed and advocated the new dehydrated water.
We climb with empty bottles.... lighter and no freezing problems.
When we are thirsty we simply add free flowing sparkling water and drink what we now call The White Mountain Martini.

Climb onward and upward,

Climbing Stallion/BMT

 

[teejay]

Okay, I get the dehydrated water. But a bihydrational reaction? Enlighten me, please.

teejay