Bisphenol A

[Ajijic]

Worth reading and be cautious of especially bottled water due to the plastic.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/low-amount-of-bpa-can-increase-cardiac-risk-by-45-study-finds/article1428929/

[newinajijic]

I cannot understand why anyone would drink bottled water.

First: it can be a danger to your health.

Second: it has an unusual taste that differs between every company.

Third: it costs money.

We drink the water from the tap or from our refrigerator door because we have a purification system. The refrigerator has its own filter too. There is no ugly taste like bottled water has.

[Kevin K]

Thanks John for posting the link. I've been following the bisphenol A issue with interest since it first arose.

To be clear, the garrafons used to deliver water locally are made from PVC (you can tell by the "3") recycling code on the bottom, which does not contain BPA (the code for bottles that do is 7 - as for Nalgene water bottles and the like). As the excellent article makes clear, the main source of exposure is in the lining of cans used for canned foods, so avoiding these and eating fresh and local (so easy, cheap and delicious to do here in Mexico!) is key. One should also avoid microwaving anything with plastic on top of it or in plastic containers. Garrafon water is not an issue.

To New in Ajijic's point, the ideal is certainly to have a sophisticated filtration system that includes sediment filter, carbon and UV. These systems are fairly expensive to install and maintain and take many years to pay for themselves, but are the ecological choice for those who can afford them. Otherwise, bottled water delivery is a fact of life for most gringos here just as it is for Mexicans. I agree that filtered water tastes better, and that's partly because it contains a lot of minerals that the reverse osmosis systems used for bottled water here remove, but mostly because the water is oxygenated rather than flat from sitting in a bottle. For those of us stuck with bottled water, oxygenating it by simply pouring it back and forth a few times between a couple of pitchers does improve the taste.

[RVGRINGO]

Assume that a couple drinks the recommended two liters each per day and uses another two for cooking and coffee/tea, etc.; that's 6L per day or roughly 2200 L per year.

At 19L per garrafon, that equals about 115 jugs per year to wrestle with and pay for. At 10 pesos per refill, you are spending 1150 pesos per year or about five years to pay off a fultration/UV system if you shop around and are able to install it yourself; it isn't hard, and it sure is nice to have the ability to drink from the tap. We change filters twice a year at about 300 pesos per change. That isn't hard either, especially if you install isolation valves at either side of the filters so that you don't have to go elsewhere to shut off water to the house.

[Ajijic]

Excellent comments... thanks. Some of the bottled water depending on size have other "recycle" numbers on the container and some definitely worse than others.

http://www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html

And ...

How To Limit Your BPA Exposure

Tuesday, April 15, 2008; 5:03 PM

Consumers anxious to reduce their exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) following a new federal government report warning the chemical may be linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer and other health problems won't find the going easy. The man-made plastics component, often found in hard (polycarbonate) plastics and softer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, is virtually ubiquitous. It's in toys, baby bottles, vinyl goods, medical equipment and a host of other everyday products. But there are some steps you can take to reduce potential risk, say toxicology experts.

U.S. Cites Fears on Chemical In Plastics

How To Limit Your BPA Exposure

Bisphenol A

To avoid exposure to BPA:

* Look for BPA-free toys, baby bottles and containers. There's been a recent explosion of such products, which may often carry a higher price tag.

* Reduce your use of canned food; eat fresh or frozen foods instead. Bisphenol A has been found in the lining of canned food tins.

* If you use hard polycarbonate plastics (Nalgene bottles, baby bottles, sippy cups), do not heat them or use them for warm or hot liquids. Heating plastics to high temperatures may promote the leaching of chemicals out of containers and into the food or liquid they hold. Freezing plastics poses no such risk.

* Instead of polycarbonate and PVC plastics, consider using alternatives such as polyethylene plastic -- also labeled as PETE or recycling code #1, #2 (HDPE) and #4 (LDPE). Polypropylene (recycling code #5, or PP) is also considered a safe choice. Recycling code #7 may mean the product contains BPA.

* Do not wash polycarbonate plastic containers in the dishwasher with harsh detergents.

BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLE.org

So what do all those numbers and letters mean on plastic products:

Recycle Code 1:

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE). PET is clear, tough, and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. Commonly used in soft drink bottles and many injection molded consumer product containers. Other applications include strapping and both food and non-food containers. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill and geo-textiles. Nickname: Polyester.

USES: Plastic soft drink, water, sports drink, beer, mouthwash, catsup and salad dressing bottles. Peanut butter, pickle, jelly and jam jars. Ovenable film and ovenable prepared food trays.

Potential problems: PET/PETE degrades with use, and wrinkled surfaces can host germs--as can backwash. PET/PETE bottles can contain trace amount of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that interferes with the body's natural hormonal messaging system. BPA has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, an increased risk of miscarriage, and decreased testosterone levels. his problem is amplified when the container is filled with hot liquids or exposed to high heat such as being left in a car.

Recycle Code 2: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is used to make bottles for milk, juice, water and laundry products. Unpigmented bottles are translucent, have good barrier properties and stiffness, and are well suited to packaging products with a short shelf life such as milk. Because HDPE has good chemical resistance, it is used for packaging many household and industrial chemicals such as detergents and bleach. Pigmented HDPE bottles have better stress crack resistance than unpigmented HDPE bottles.

USES: Milk, water, juice, cosmetic, shampoo, dish and laundry detergent bottles; yogurt and margarine tubs; cereal box liners; grocery, trash and retail bags.

Potential Problems: No known problems.

Recycle Code 3: Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC): In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has excellent chemical resistance, good weatherability, flow characteristics and stable electrical properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly divided into rigid and flexible materials. Bottles and packaging sheet are major rigid markets, but it is also widely used in the construction market for such applications as pipes and fittings, siding, carpet backing and windows. Flexible vinyl is used in wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, floor coverings synthetic leather products, coatings, blood bags, medical tubing and many other applications.

USES: Clear food and non-food packaging, medical tubing, wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, construction products such as pipes, fittings, siding, floor tiles, carpet backing and window frames.

Potential Problems: Contains numerous toxic chemicals called adipates and phthalates ("plasticizers"), which are used to soften brittle PVC into a more flexible form. PVC is commonly used to package foods and liquids, ubiquitous in children's toys and teethers, plumbing and building materials, and in everything from cosmetics to shower curtains. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when it comes into contact with food. Vinyl chloride (the VC in PVC), as a known human carcinogen. The European Union has banned the use of DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate), the most widely used plasticizer in PVC, and in children's toys.

Recycle Code 4: Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE).Used predominately in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency, making it popular for use in applications where heat sealing is necessary. LDPE is also used to manufacture some flexible lids and bottles and it is used in wire and cable applications

USES: Dry cleaning, bread and frozen food bags, squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard.

Recycle Code 5: Polypropylene (PP). Polypropylene has good chemical resistance, is strong, and has a high melting point making it good for hot-fill liquids. PP is found in flexible and rigid packaging to fibers and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products.

USES: Catsup bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs, medicine bottles.

Recycle Code 6: Polystyrene (PS). Polystyrene is a versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. It has a relatively low melting point. Typical applications include protective packaging, containers, lids, cups, bottles and trays.

USES: Compact disc jackets, food service applications, grocery store meat trays, egg cartons, aspirin bottles, cups, plates, cutlery.

Recycle Code 7: Other. Use of this code indicates that the package in question is made with a resin other than the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin listed above, and used in a multi-layer combination. Includes polycarbonate.

USES: Three and five gallon reusable water bottles, some citrus juice and catsup bottles.

Potential Problems: Studies show polycarbonates can also leach the potentially harmful synthetic hormone Bisphenol A (BPA). This problem is amplified when the container is filled with hot liquids or exposed to high heat such as being left in a car.

[newinajijic]

RVGRINGO - Great post as usual. Those who want to wrestle 40 pound water jugs in their old age are welcome to it along with risk of a back injury and surgery. Cost a lot more than a filtration system with back pain forever.

KevinK - I think you should price filtration systems which are NOT sophisticated or expensive. I doubt they even cost $ 500. US. We only change our filters ONCE a year because we don't get much sediment in Los Arroyos Sur as does Riberas.

[slumdog]

Assume that a couple drinks the recommended two liters each per day and uses another two for cooking and coffee/tea, etc.; that's 6L per day or roughly 2200 L per year.

At 19L per garrafon, that equals about 115 jugs per year to wrestle with and pay for. At 10 pesos per refill, you are spending 1150 pesos per year or about five years to pay off

RVGRINGO, I like your math. And a really good answer.

I've never met anybody who actually drinks two liters a day straight up; in fact, science is now telling us that the eight cups we need every day pretty much comes from food sources, with a little of it being direct. But that's just an aside.

I use perhaps one-and-a-little-bit garafons every week, so maybe 60 or so per year. I take my empties into a place on the highway, and pay 10 pesos. So 600 pesos a year; let's round it up to 700 pesos per year, just to be safe. In a previous house, I installed a pump and filtration system. It was certainly more convenient, but the pressure system in combination with the filtration drove up my CFE bill so high that I went into the DAC bracket for two years. I was paying upwards of 3,000 pesos every billing period. And somehow I managed to get the only filtration system around that required 400 peso refills, and I needed two refill filters every time they got gunked up and I couldn't wash them anymore.

So now I just get the jugs filled, and don't worry about it all. Because I also use a cell phone, I figure my brain tumors will kill me long before the plasticized water does.

[Ajijic]

Geesh moderator is really sanitizing the posts. So rather than say the words read the last sentence in the article... especially men. lol

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-agency-changes-tune-on-bisphenol-a/article1432786/

[Floradude]

I was told by a friend that the City of Chapala is no longer adding chlorine to the city water because of a lack of money. A lot of poorer Mexican homes drink the tap water out of necessity so if this is true their health is at risk because of this lack of Public Health Concern by the government.

[tobyjug]

I was told by a friend that the City of Chapala is no longer adding chlorine to the city water because of a lack of money. A lot of poorer Mexican homes drink the tap water out of necessity so if this is true their health is at risk because of this lack of Public Health Concern by the government.

By adding a few drops of chlorine, which they/we all have, the water will be drinkable..I think hypothermia is a bigger problem

[RVGRINGO]

TO MAKE SAFE DRINKING WATER:

Add two drops of chlorine bleach, or one drop of Microdyne, to one liter of water.

Allow to sit for 30 minutes before drinking.

Refrigeration of the treated water helps to eliminate any taste.

It is that simple.