Lately, when buying bottled water,
consumers are advised to check the bottom of the bottle, in order to protect
their health.
Plastic bottles labeled with
letters like HDP, HDPE, PP and a few others, do not release any toxic material
in the water, and the remaining letters can represent the chemicals found in
the water you are drinking.
Every
brand must label the content of the bottle, they will either have the letters,
numbers or number symbols shown in the graphic.
#1 PET or PETE
– stands for single-use
bottles. These bottles can possibly release heavy metals and chemicals that
affect the hormonal balance.
“PET is one of the most
commonly used plastics in consumer products, and is found in most water and pop
bottles, and some packaging. It is intended for single use applications;
repeated use increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth.
PET plastic
is difficult to decontaminate, and proper cleaning requires harmful chemicals.
Polyethylene terephthalates may leach carcinogens.”
#2 HDP or HDPE
– plastic that practically
releases no chemicals. Experts recommend choosing these bottles, when buying
bottled water, because it is probably the healthiest water you can find on the
market.
“HDPE plastic is the stiff
plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent and oil bottles, toys, and some
plastic bags. HDPE is the most commonly recycled plastic and is considered one
of the safest forms of plastic. It is a relatively simple and cost-effective
process to recycle HDPE plastic for secondary use.”
#3 PVC or 3V
– releases 2 toxic chemicals
that affect the hormones in your body.
“PVC is a soft, flexible
plastic used to make clear plastic food wrapping, cooking oil bottles, teething
rings, children’s and pets’ toys, and blister packaging for myriad consumer products.
It is commonly used as the sheathing material for computer cables, and to make
plastic pipes and parts for plumbing. Because PVC is relatively impervious to
sunlight and weather, it is used to make window frames, garden hoses, arbors,
raised beds and trellises.
#4 LDPE
–
this plastic cannot be used in the production of bottles, but plastic bags,
even though it does not release any chemicals into the water.
“LDPE
is often found in shrink wraps, dry cleaner garment bags, squeezable bottles,
and the type of plastic bags used to package bread. The plastic grocery bags
used in most stores today are made using LDPE plastic. Some clothing and
furniture also uses this type of plastic.”
#5 PP
–
another white colored or semi transparent plastic, used as a packing for syrups
and yoghurt cups.
“Polypropylene
plastic is tough and lightweight, and has excellent heat-resistance qualities.
It serves as a barrier against moisture, grease and chemicals. When you try to
open the thin plastic liner in a cereal box, it is polypropylene. This keeps
your cereal dry and fresh. PP is also commonly used for disposable diapers,
pails, plastic bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato chip bags,
straws, packing tape and rope.”
#6 PS
–
releases some carcinogenic substances and it is commonly used in the production
of coffee cups and fast food casings.
“Polystyrene
is an inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with a wide variety of
uses. It is most often used to make disposable styrofoam drinking cups,
take-out “clamshell” food containers, egg cartons, plastic picnic cutlery, foam
packaging and those ubiquitous “peanut” foam chips used to fill shipping boxes
to protect the contents. Polystyrene is also widely used to make rigid foam
insulation and underlay sheeting for laminate flooring used in home
construction.”
#7 PC or non-labeled
plastic
–
the most dangerous plastic in the food production which releases BPA chemicals
and it is often used in the production of sports water bottles and food containers.
This
category was designed as a catch-all for polycarbonate (PC) and “other”
plastics, so reuse and recycling protocols are not standardized within this
category. Of primary concern with these plastics, however, is the potential for
chemical leaching into food or drink products packaged in polycarbonate
containers made using BPA (Bisphenol A). BPA is a xenoestrogen, a known
endocrine disruptor.
As
of today, check the bottom of the bottle twice!
So
what bottles can you use? Good question, personally I prefer glass or
stainless steel.
Sources:
