Is it true that plastic used in water bottles can release Bisphenol A into the water?
Most plastic bottles used in the sale of bottled water in Canada are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) or polyethylene (PE), which does not contain Bisphenol A. Large jugs (18 L bottles) and some sport bottles can be made of polycarbonate plastic (PC) which may contain small amounts of Bisphenol A. As a result of the use of polycarbonate water bottles, minute quantities of Bisphenol A can potentially leach out into the water or food and consumers may be exposed to small amounts of Bisphenol A through their normal daily diet. The Food Directorate of Health Canada has conducted a review of all the data available on the migrational and toxicological characteristics of Bisphenol A as well as other pertinent information (e.g. use patterns) and concluded that the dietary exposure to Bisphenol A from food packaging sources, including PC water bottles, does not pose a health risk to consumers.
