I mean the kind you can use on a bike? Or do they all leach nasty stuff into our water?
Anyone up on the latest research?
The newer specialized bottles are supposed to be pretty good. Rapper at did a piece on them I think in lava.
I’ve heard BPA has been identified as a potential problem, get bottles that are BPA free if you’re worried. I drink out of a stainless steel bottle at work and glass jugs at home, so I’m only drinking out of plastic bottles a few hours a week when I’m actually riding.
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The funny thing about BPA is that this is a component (a monomer) used in the synthesis of polycarbonate, but not many bottles are actually made out of Polycarbonate. If you try to sqeeze it and it deformes, it’s definitely not polycarbonate. Many producers jumped on the marketing wagon and labeled their products as BPA free and charge a bit extra for something that never had BPA in it in the first place.
As a polymer scientist i have no problem with any plastic water bottle for the bike, except for bottles made of PVC. Plasticizers are known to gradually leach out with time but for all other materials you are very safe. When you buy a bottle, look at the bottom and it will tell you what it is made of. It normally shows the Mobius triangle (the symbol of recycling) with a number inside and often two or three letters below it. For example the Camelbak podium bottle I’m holding has the number five in the triangle and the letters PP below it, saying the bottle is made out of polypropylene. PP is probably one of the safest plastics you will find so definitely good to go.
Bottles with PVC will have the number 3 in it, if you see those just leave them be. Even if they are also BPA free. If a bottle doesn’t bend when you squeeze it check the number at the bottom, it will likely be a 1 which means it is polyester which is also safe. Soda’s come in polyester also.
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I mean the kind you can use on a bike? Or do they all leach nasty stuff into our water?
Anyone up on the latest research?
I don’t think there is any reliable evidence that any plastic bottle leaches harmful amounts of anything into your water. Don’t worry about it and go for a ride.
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There was a segment on NPR the other day about this question. BPA obviously got a lot of press a few years ago when it became known to have harmful effects on hormone levels. The NPR piece asked if the replacement chemicals for BPA are also bad. There’s some evidence for it, though the plastics industry denies this. Maybe I can track down a link to the segment… I’ll post if I can.
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Safe from what??
There was a segment on NPR the other day about this question. BPA obviously got a lot of press a few years ago when it became known to have harmful effects on hormone levels. The NPR piece asked if the replacement chemicals for BPA are also bad. There’s some evidence for it, though the plastics industry denies this. Maybe I can track down a link to the segment… I’ll post if I can.
here you go: http://www.wnyc.org/story/bpa-free-plastics-may-not-be-safe/ and http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/03/06/plastic-health-safety-bpa
basically you change a few substituent on the aromatic rings of BPA, and now it’s BPA-free even if the general structure stays pretty much the same…
I mean the kind you can use on a bike? Or do they all leach nasty stuff into our water?
Anyone up on the latest research?
Humans used to (and still do, I imagine) drink water straight from lakes and be just fine. I think the water bottles you drink are okay If not, I’m sure Whole Foods has a gluten free, fully compostable water bottle made from organic kale. That oughta do!
Bottles with PVC will have the number 3 in it, if you see those just leave them be.
How about #4 LDPE?
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LDPE is low density polyethylene or polythene. Again very safe and i actually made some in the lab yesterday! The difference between high density and low density relates to various properties such as how stiff it is and melting point etc. The polymer is very strong and stable so you have no need to worry (you dont see plastic bags (HDPE) degrading do you)
Thanks for sharing that info with us.
jaretj
Bottles with PVC will have the number 3 in it, if you see those just leave them be.
How about #4 LDPE?
LDPE is also very safe. It is very flexible though and has a low melting temperature, which doesn’t make it ideal for washing in the dishwasher repeatedly. It will probably wear quicker than a polypropylene bottle.