Let's not forget that Bisphenol A is also a primary component in the dental composite fillings (those tooth-colored fillings) that many of us have in our teeth (talk about daily exposure). So while mercury-containing amalgam fillings are even worse, we're all stuck between Bisphenol A in composite fillings and expensive and somewhat unsightly gold fillings. The dental industry needs to come up with a healthier alternative than the current composites.

I am currently trying to find an alternative to composite fillings myself. I contacted a holistic dentist and he said they use ceramic fillings. Has anyone ever heard of this? Any down side?

For years, I used to reuse flimsy water bottles--filling with both hot & cold water to get room temp water (I hate cold water). I'm convinced I've poisoned myself--if it's in my body, how do I get it out?

SO if hard plastic has BPA and I go for soft plastic - doesn't that contain pthalates?? What other healthy options are there?

I take poly bottles to a water source for my supply. Can you name brands that are safe? What do others of us do who have water delivered in large poly bottles?

So if cans of formula contain BPA do the plastic Similac bottles of ready to feed formula contain it as well?

skyppies- No, the plastic bottles of ready-to-eat formula don't contain BPA as far as we know. They're made from one of the better kinds of plastic. Occasionally the glass or plastic containers will have metal lids, and these may be lined with BPA-containing resin, but that's a very minimal exposure.

Someone's posting hinted at this, but just to highlight it:

The 5-gallon water plastic bottles for water coolers/dispensers are made of polycarbonate, so especially if you're pregnant you should avoid drinking from those dispensers. At home (or if you have any input to what happens at your office) I recommend an inexpensive on-tap filtering system for the sink instead. Getting water delivered is terrible for the environment anyway. All those diesel trucks hauling water all over town.

I read somewhere that if you reuse plastic water bottles that are meant to be disposable (I think they have recycling #1 or 2 on them) they might leach phthalates over time, so that's not safe either. That probably includes the 2.5-gal rectangular jugs with the built-in dispenser (I used to refill those at the grocery filtered water dispenser when we lived somewhere with a sink that couldn't take an on-tap system).

I carry water in a 1L Sigg bottle. It's aluminum but with a food-safe coating inside; tests in Germany found that they didn't leach any aluminum or BPA. They're a bit lighter & less expensive than stainless steel bottles & the water doesn't have a metallic taste, so it's an easy way to replace your polycarbonate bottle. They're showing up more places now -- I noticed Patagonia replaced their branded Nalgene bottles with branded Sigg bottles. Probably a matter of time before places like Starbucks stop selling all that polycarbonate too.

skyppies: there is a study on the ewg webpage about ready made formula containing lots of BPA, much more than powdered formula. Be sure to look it up and read it!!!

I have two Pur water pitchers in my refrigerator... and they are mainly made from rigid, clear plastic. I am guessing they probably leach and that I would be better off to get a faucet filter..... am I on the right track??

I'm not sure what you're talking about with composite fillings--
Fillings of the last few years are either silver or porcelain which is the same thing as your bathroom sink or your bathtub. I highly doubt that this leeches BPA's.

Plastic bottles which are meant to be disposed don't LEACH chemicals... they're biodegrading, which some might say is the same thing. They're not meant to be used multiple times and if your water bottle starts to smell, that's it decomposing.

[Ed. Note: Nice name, Amanda! FYI, guys, that's not me.]

Does anyone know whether the Starbucks type heavy duty polythene to- go cups leach anything?

Sue

Do the water pressure tanks and hot water tanks have plastic linings? Do they leach BPA?

Just wanted everyone to know I just saw that CamelBak released a BPA-free plastic bottle.
www.camelbak.com

I was really bummed today when I got the spec sheet on the composites that I replaced my old amalgram fillings with -- and saw BPA as a prominent ingredient. Upon further research though, it does appear that once they are "cured" that most are comparatively safe and do not leach out anymore BPA. What a twisted, toxic world we live in.

Are gold fillings bad for your health. Would it be preferable over white fillings if it's in the back of your mouth?

I can tomatoes from our garden, are canning lids safe? Or would they be coated as a can would?

Great article. You can imagine my surprise when I lifted up the bottle I was drinking out of and saw the # 7. Let's just say I'll be buying an aluminum bottle soon.

hmm...
so is there anything really safe as far as drinking cups and sippy cups?

after all even stainless steel contains ugly stuff like nickel and other additives that can leach to acidic drinks and even to water right?

furthermore..

even if they are made of stainless steel the spouts are still made of plastic! what kind of plastic is it?

also..

superiority of flitering system over the bottled water gets me here:
after all all piping in our new home is made of plastic,
most of our home pipings are right?

any idea as to does it contain bispehenol and other unhealthy stuff? what is a trade of?

oh.. this is so twisted.

Let's all calm down for a minute...we are so lucky in this country that we have the time, and means to worry about the possibility of consuming a tiny bit of a chemical which may or may not be hazardous to our health. HALF OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER. CHILDREN DIE OF WATER BORN ILLNESSES. But here in America, we are worrying about potentially ingesting chemicals that we have been ingesting for years already. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be concerned...I am saying we should step back for a second and take a breath.

I too have been trying to avoid plastics and icky what-nots in our food. The wrap-n-matt is great from reusablebags.com although they too have a plastic lining. I want to contact them to find out if it's BPA free. Sigg and Klean Kanteen are both in my repertoire and have kids versions that I use for my daughter. there's a new sippy out there called, I believe, the "safe sippy", made from stainless.

In response to canned food and all this making your life and shopping choices tougher: these things were created for convenience, so we wouldn't have to soak and cook our own beans (or whatever), and take our food to go in neat little baggies. We are paying the price for that convenience. And if you actually believe the FDA is out there to protect you then wake up. You need to find out for yourself. Take the time to research it if it means that much to you. We wouldn't need the linings in cans so much if they would STOP FLOURIDATING OUR WATER. Don't even get me started on that one. At least we have access to clean water and whatever food we want. Can't afford organic? then buy local, look for farmer's markets, make small changes and eat more whole food. Get a crock-pot, cook your beans and take control. It may take a little longer, but perhaps it will give you more time to live.

Does anyone know what about water bottles marked with #1 ? Are they safe?

I’ve been using a water bottle from Fit & Fresh. This bottle is really cheap, just under $10, and it has a filter. I fill it with tap water from home and work and it tastes just like bottled water – only I’m not wasting any plastic. I just found out that this bottle is also BPA free so there’s more of a reason to keep using it!

For all you moms asking for more details on sippy cups, bottles, teethers, etc., check out the site SafeMama.com where you'll find tons of info on safe products for our kids. There are actually a great deal of them!
Sue - if your Starbucks cup is polyethylene (also known as PETE or recycling code #1), you're safe as long as you don't reuse it. The safest plastic to use is #5, polypropylene. #2 and #4 are good, too.
Eram - From the research I've done, BPA usually passes out of your system within 48 hours. The problem is that there is so much BPA in our everyday products that most Americans have low levels of it in their blood at any given time.
mkat - When you switch to a faucet filter, get a Brita instead of a Pur. They both do a great job filtering, but the Brita filters out 4 more potentially toxic chemicals than the Pur.

Some SGG bottle look a likes have lead paint on them. Avoid look a likes.

While there is certainly reason to be concerned about dental fillings, it's also important to remember that generations agogtooth decay and its resulting infection used to be a leading cause of death! And my parents suffered terribly as children due to lack of good dental care. As we progress in this era of environmental paranoia, we have to keep our heads -- or the stress of worrying about all these things is going to kill us first.

I AM LOSING SLEEP!!!!I have 2500 lbs. of food in #2 food grade plastic. I am freeking out. I have worked sooo hard to have a year supply of food. I was going to switch over to mylar but that is made out of plastic too. What I have is grains, beans, rice, oats. HELP ME. What should I do????????

Keri, the very first thing you should do is take a REALLY DEEP BREATH.

There. Now: #2 plastic does not contain BPA, so that's not a risk for your food storage scheme. #2 plastic is HDPE and is considered food-safe. Now get some sleep!

which brands of water (ozarka, etc)bottles have less BPA?

Rana, disposable water bottles made of #1 (PET) plastic don't contain any BPA at all.

I work in the plastics industry, and I think BPA is being way over-hyped. BPA has been used for over 40 years, and although we do have low levels of BPA in our systems, it's in the less than 5 parts per billion level. Please take a moment to visit this site: http://www.bisphenol-a.org/ to calm your fears. There are worse toxins that do far more damage that we don't focus on in our environment. Chances are, you'll probably die from something else long before BPA.

Thanks for being honest about your place of employment, Ann -- I'm not surprised to hear that you don't think BPA is anything to worry about, especially if you're buying into what you're reading on the website you mentioned.

(OH LOOK! THE PEOPLE TRYING TO SELL BPA THINK IT'S OKAY! WHEW, THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE.)

What's sad right now is that people die from "something else" all the time -- it's called cancer, and it may well be caused by BPA.

OK. So you work in the plastics industry. How many times a day are you exposed? Think about it. Do you really believe that your body can continue to detoxify all these "little exposures?" Especially since our food is 25% less nutritious, etc. The big, greedy plastics companies have asked the scientific questions to get the answers they want. Remember Big Tobacco?
I can say this: we should all Detox more.
Get Your Health On!