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The Safety Of Polycarbonate and PET Bottles
Polycarbonate plastic is a lightweight, high-performance plastic possessing a unique balance of toughness, dimensional stability, optical
clarity, high heat resistance and excellent electrical resistance. The Rain Fresh 1, 3, and 5 gallon bottles are made of polycarbonate.
Recently the media has been running stories with dramatic headlines warning of "possible" dangers associated with the use of polycarbonate
bottles. The most recent report covered one study dealing with the possible effects of plastics on infants and children. This report is
causing a lot of confusion for the public.
First we must consider the source. The media makes its money by sensationalizing a story. The best way to discover the facts is to do the
research.
According to the website plasticsinfo.org, "Researchers from government agencies, academia, and industry worldwide have studied the potential
for bisphenol A (BPA) to migrate from polycarbonate products into foods and beverages. These studies consistently show that the potential
migration of BPA into food is extremely low, generally less than 5 parts per billion under conditions typical for uses of polycarbonate products.
At this level, a consumer would have to ingest more than 1,300 pounds of food and beverages in contact with polycarbonate every day for an
entire lifetime to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consequently, human exposure to BPA from
polycarbonate plastics is minimal and poses no known risk to human health."
They go on to say "An extensive body of human exposure research, including biomonitoring studies, has been conducted worldwide. Studies
consistently indicate that human daily intake of BPA is extremely low and typically in the range of 1-2 micrograms per day or 20-30
nanograms/kg-body weight/day. These levels are about 1,000,000 times below levels where there were no adverse effects in multi-generational
animal studies. Similarly, these levels are about 400-2,000 times below lifetime daily intake levels set by government bodies in the United
States and Europe that are expected to be without adverse effect. Comparisons indicate a substantial margin of safety between actual and safe
levels of exposure."
Another website called Facts On Plastic believes NBC's Today Show should issue an apology to the public about their Consumer Alert report on
April 9th about the overall safety of plastic bottles. The website goes on to say "This story was full of inaccuracies which the American
Chemistry Council (ACC) brought to NBC’s attention. The next day — in what first appeared to be an attempt to clarify the situation — NBC made
a bad situation worse by further confusing the issue, repeating many of the same inaccuracies, and giving consumers additional bad information."
There are also e-mail rumors being circulated about the danger of PET bottles. Our 1/2 liter and 1 liter bottles are PET. Again, consider the
source.
The rumors are that it's not a good idea to reuse your disposable water bottles or keep them in a hot car. They claim the polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) plastic used in these bottles contains a potentially carcinogenic element called diethylhydroxylamine or DEHA and are safe
for only one use.
According to Plastics Myth Buster, "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration carefully reviews food and beverage packaging materials, including
the plastics used to make water bottles, before allowing them on the market, so they won’t pose a risk to human health. As part of its review,
FDA assesses the migration potential of plastics and the substances with which they are made.
Most convenience-sized plastic water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a lightweight, shatter resistant, well-tested material.
Based on the results of its extensive review, FDA allows the use of PET in both single-use and repeated-use food and beverage packaging. Refillable
bottles made with the same PET resin as single-use bottles are frequently reused in a number of other countries as well.
Contrary to this misinformation, PET bottles are not made with DEHA, an FDA-permitted additive used with some types of plastics to impart
flexibility and other desirable qualities. Moreover, DEHA is the standard abbreviation for di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, not diethylhydroxylamine
as misstated in the e-mail."
It is safe to use the PET bottles. If you choose to reuse a plastic water bottle please remember to clean it with hot soapy water to avoid
bacterial growth. Bacteria can grow in virtually any beverage container under the right conditions.
Rain Fresh Water is very much a health conscious, wellness-oriented company. Many of our customers have been recommended to us by their doctors
because they are dealing with environmental sensitivities. The feedback we hear most often is that Rain Fresh is the only water their bodies can
handle. We would never sell a product that we feel would be a danger to our customers' health. Making a buck is not the main motivation for
continuing in business, but serving your needs on a very basic level of providing a top quality purified water definitely keeps us going!
Below are links to other websites with extensive information about the safety of plastic bottles. There are literally hundreds of reports proving
the safety of using these plastics versus the few negative reports available. The plastic manufacturing companies are asking the FDA to
investigate this issue again so they can make a clear statement to the public on the safety of plastic and put an end to the fear and confusion.
Thank you for choosing Rain Fresh. We appreciate each of you.
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