When it comes to drinking water, my first choice would always be to drink clean, fresh water straight from the ground like I was able to growing up in Connecticut. But unfortnuately that option doesn’t exist in most cities, nor is it an option here in San Diego.
Being that I try to minimize my use of plastics and use local resources when I can, I’ve always believed that local tap water is the next best option, as opposed to bottled water from who knows where. I’ve also had this belief validated when I read the articles that address the fact that the bottled water industry is largely unregulated. But of course it’s also pretty well known that tap water quality in most municipalities is loaded with traces of chemicals and pollutants, even pharmaceuticals.
So where does that leave me? Well, I’ve used a Pur water filter for about the past 10 years, feeling better about lowering my footprint, while trying to keep my water quality somewhat respectable. But now Bisphenal A (BPA) and the safety of plastics is becoming an issue, with it becoming more apparent that many plastics leech their chemicals, making any container made from plastic have the potential to pass chemicals unknowingly into our bodies.
What is BPA? It is a “hormone mimicking compound” which has been shown to mimic the female hormone estrogen, and exposure to it early in life has been linked to:
- Pre-cancerous changes in the mammary and prostate glands
- Altered development of the brain causing behavioral abnormalities and earlier onset of puberty
- Reproductive abnormalities such as lower sperm counts, hormonal changes, enlarged prostate glands, and abnormalities in the number of chromosomes in eggs
- Obesity and with insulin resistance
Where is BPA found? It can be found in “clear plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, clear plastic water bottles, and other kitchen plastics such as measuring cups, drinkware and storage containers.” (link) You can see why there should be concern.
Since I use a Pur pitcher to filter my water, I have been concerned with this since I first read about BPA a few years ago. So today I did some googling, and found this good article (also with very insightful comments), and I also decided to write to Proctor & Gamble (the parent company of Pur) to see if I received the same information. Here is the reply I received:
Thanks for contacting PUR.
There is no BPA present in any PUR pitchers or pitcher lids.
PUR pitcher bodies are manufactured from an acrylic-based polymer classified as recycling code #7. PUR pitcher lids are manufactured from polystyrene, code #6. PUR pitcher filters are made from polypropylene, code #5, and also contain no BPA.
All PUR pitchers undergo independent safety testing by NSF International, a not-for-profit certification agency for water treatment and other products. Our products meet all industry standards and specifications for material safety and chemical extraction.
I hope this is helpful.
Do I really trust this? I’m not sure, but I guess for now I’ll have to, and will for the time being hope that I am not unknowningly exposing myself to BPA on a daily basis by drinking water.
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Originally posted on Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 6:25 AM .
