JAMA to FDA: "BPA Not Safe"

Many students travel the campus with their own refillable water bottles in hand--as a matter of going green or of global justice. Now a JAMA editorial urges using the right kind of water bottle as a matter of better health.

The 17 September 2008 editorial--"Bisphenol A and Risk of Metabolic Disorders"--points to a study which suggests "a significant relationship between urine concentrations of BPA and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities in a representative sample of the adult US population." BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a chemical commonly used as a base in polycarbonate plastic food and beverage containers.

The editorial urges the FDA and other regulatory agencies to follow the lead of Canada and declare "BPA a 'toxic chemical' requiring aggressive action to limit human and environmental exposures." It also urges follow-up studies to establish biological causality between BPA and major human metabolic diseases beyond the shadow of a doubt.

What does this mean to you?

Well, first of all, make sure you are using a BPA-free water bottle. National Geographic's Green Guide lists safe water bottles:

• Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottle w/ cap, 27 fluid ounces ($17.95; www.kleankanteen.com)

• MLS Stainless Steel Thermos Bottle, 1 liter ($22.16; www.mls-group.com)

• Nissan Thermos FBB500 Briefcase Bottle, 1pt ($35; www.coffee-makers-espresso-machines.com)

• Sigg resin coated aluminum sport bottle, 25 ounces ($19.99; www.mysigg.com)

• Platypus #5 polypropylene 2+collapsible water bottle, 2.4 liters ($9.95; www.rei.com)

• Nalgene HDPE Loop-Top Bottle, 16 ounces ($4.53; www.nalgene-outdoor.com)