| Perhaps you are one of the many, many | | | | says that a growing number of scientists conclude |
| Americans who have turned from drinking tap | | | | from animal tests that BPA exposure in the |
| water in recent years. After all, who knows | | | | womb raises risk of cancers, hampers fertility, |
| whats in it? In many cities it tastes, smells, or | | | | and contributes to childhood hyperactivity. Other |
| even looks odd. | | | | studies point to a link with diabetes and a host of |
| The obvious alternative is bottled water, which | | | | other ills, for a total of 104 independent studies |
| over the past 15 years has become increasingly | | | | identifying harmful effects. Meanwhile, 11 studies |
| popular. Plenty of us are solving the problem this | | | | funded by the industry claim no harmful effects. |
| way. But this alternative has some serious | | | | The FDA has chosen to go with these results, |
| drawbacks, and it turns out that many sellers are | | | | which critics call flawed. |
| selling just filtered tap water anyway. Since the | | | | You can find BPA in clear plastic bottles, of |
| FDA (which regulates bottled water) has lower | | | | course. But it's also in many other food |
| testing standards than the EPA (which regulates | | | | containers, including canned food cans, baby |
| tap water), the bottled water may have more | | | | bottles and toys, and wine vats. The Centers for |
| microbes in it, according to tests. | | | | Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a |
| One of the undesirable aspects of drinking bottled | | | | large number of Americans in 2004 and found |
| water is the waste problem. 60 million bottles of | | | | that 95 percent of them had some level of BPA |
| water per day are used in America, and a lot of | | | | in their urine, according to the Green Guide. |
| them are winding up in the landfills. Since we all | | | | It's ironic that the whole reason we drink bottled |
| need to drink gallons of water each day, if we | | | | water is to avoid contaminants, but the bottles |
| choose bottled water, we will go through a lot of | | | | are introducing contaminants. We should plan to |
| bottles. | | | | switch to glass, stainless steel, or BPA-free plastic |
| The public is gradually becoming aware that | | | | (with a recycling number 2, 4, or 5). |
| drinking from plastic bottles poses a health threat. | | | | Now, how do I control what container I drink pure |
| There is a chemical, BPA, used to make the clear | | | | water from? Here's a great, economical way. I |
| plastic (recycling number 1) bottles used for this | | | | can get a home water filter and bottle the water |
| purpose. Traces of the BPA end up in the water | | | | myself using my chosen containers. A home |
| stored in the container. (Plastics with recycling | | | | water filter, installed at the kitchen sink, icemaker, |
| numbers of 3 and 7 contain BPA as well.) | | | | or shower, can provide me with clean water at a |
| Catherine Zandonella, M.P.H., wrote an article about | | | | much lower price than bottled water--about 8 |
| BPA in the online magazine The Green Guide. She | | | | cents per gallon. |