Health: Plastic Bottles Not Meant for Daily Use?

Hi,

Just something to share with you:
I used to carry a plastic mineral water bottle inside my suitcase when outdoors. Since Indonesia and Singapore are some of the hottest areas in the world, thus to avoid dehydration, I regularly re-fill water into a plastic bottle sold in supermarkets.

Most of the time I would change the water bottle every few weeks when the plastic doesn't seem as clear or new as when I first opened it. But now, as I become more aware of the subtle harmful effects of inferior plastics to our bodies (toxic chemical agents from the plastic material leaching into the drinking water), I have switched to something less damaging to my health - a conventional water bottle made of hard plastics.

How to check the plastics you use everyday? Here are some useful pointers... ...

Plastic bottles, containers and packaging typically have a symbol that indicates the type of plastic resin from which the item was made. The resin coding system was introduced in 1988 by the American Society of Plastics Industry (SPI). The symbols imprinted on plastic bottles, containers and packaging are a variation of the original three wide mobius arrows. They have been modified to a simpler and thinner version.

On a bottle, the symbol can usually be found on the bottom, molded into the plastic itself as a raised impression and thus not always easily seen. The symbol includes a number within the mobius arrows, and usually, but not always, the chemical resin below the mobius arrows in acronym form. Although presence of the symbol implies that the plastic item is recyclable, the symbol is actually only intended to identify the plastic resin from which the item was made. It also does not mean that the higher the number, the safer for use. Recyclability is ultimately determined by the local collections and reprocessing facilities.

These types and their most common uses are shown below:

Polyethylene terephthalate - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays.
High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids.

Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo.

Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and bin liners.

Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.

Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.

Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories. - An example is melamine, which is often used in plastic plates and cups.

For me, I'm now using a bottle having the "7" type marked with PC beneath the arrows. It turns out to be Polycarbonate - a transparent amorphous polymer which exhibits outstanding physical properties such as great impact resistance (almost unbreakable), heat resistance of up to 125°C and excellent clarity, although opaque and translucent grades are also available. Polycarbonate is often used to replace glass or metal in demanding applications when the temperature does not exceed 125°C. So, it should be quite safe for daily use! What about yours?

However, since I want to live healthily and prevent my healthy cells from becoming cancerous due to (God knows what) harmful chemicals that I might ingest unknowingly on a daily basis, I've been taking toxic-purging supplements. So I guess it sort of neutralises the undesirable effects!