| Dear
EarthTalk: Are the rumors true that refilling
and reusing some types of plastic bottles can cause health
problems?
-- Regina Fujan, Lincoln, NE
Most
types of plastic bottles are safe to reuse at least a few
times if properly washed with hot soapy water. But recent
revelations about chemicals in Lexan (plastic #7) bottles
are enough to scare even the most committed environmentalists
from reusing them (or buying them in the first place). Studies
have indicated that food and drinks stored in such containers—including
those ubiquitous clear Nalgene water bottles hanging from
just about every hiker’s backpack—can contain
trace amount of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical
that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal messaging
system.
The
same studies found that repeated re-use of such bottles—which
get dinged up through normal wear and tear and while being
washed—increases the chance that chemicals will leak
out of the tiny cracks and crevices that develop over time.
According to the Environment California Research & Policy
Center, which reviewed 130 studies on the topic, BPA has
been linked to breast and uterine cancer, an increased risk
of miscarriage, and decreased testosterone levels. BPA can
also wreak havoc on children’s developing systems.
(Parents beware: Most baby bottles and sippy cups are made
with plastics containing BPA.) Most experts agree that the
amount of BPA that could leach into food and drinks through
normal handling is probably very small, but there are concerns
about the cumulative effect of small doses.
Health
advocates also recommend not reusing bottles made from plastic
#1 (polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET or PETE),
including most disposable water, soda and juice bottles.
According to The Green Guide, such bottles may be safe for
one-time use, but reuse should be avoided because studies
indicate they may leach DEHP—another probable human
carcinogen—when they are in less than perfect condition.
The good news is that such bottles are easy to recycle;
just about every municipal recycling system will take them
back. But using them is nonetheless far from environmentally
responsible: The nonprofit Berkeley Ecology Center found
that the manufacture of plastic #1 uses large amounts of
energy and resources and generates toxic emissions and pollutants
that contribute to global warming. And even though PET bottles
can be recycled, millions find their way into landfills
every day in the U.S. alone.
Another
bad choice for water bottles, reusable or otherwise, is
plastic #3 (polyvinyl chloride/PVC), which can leach hormone-disrupting
chemicals into the liquids they are storing and will release
synthetic carcinogens into the environment when incinerated.
Plastic #6 (polystyrene/PS), has been shown to leach styrene,
a probable human carcinogen, into food and drinks as well.
Safer
choices include bottles crafted from safer HDPE (plastic
#2), low-density polyethylene (LDPE, AKA plastic #4) or
polypropylene (PP, or plastic #5). Consumers may have a
hard time finding water bottles made out of #4 or #5, however.
Aluminum bottles, such as those made by SIGG and sold in
many natural food and product markets, and stainless steel
water bottles are also safe choices and can be reused repeatedly
and eventually recycled.
CONTACTS:
The
Green Guide; Environment
California; SIGG.
Dear
EarthTalk: Is it true that global warming can
exacerbate allergies?
-- Alex Tibbetts, Seattle, WA
Global warming
can make allergies worse simply because the major pollen
producers that trigger allergic reactions thrive and flourish
in warmer air. A recent report from the nonprofit Natural
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) entitled “Sneezing
and Wheezing: How Global Warming Could Increase Ragweed
Allergies, Air Pollution and Asthma” details how ragweed,
one of the most common allergens in the U.S., grows faster
and for longer periods as air temperatures rise due to climate
change.
Ragweed also
thrives on direct exposure to carbon dioxide (CO2), so as
we emit more of this chief greenhouse gas from our tailpipes
and smokestacks, we are unwittingly also causing more allergy-aggravating
pollen to be produced. According to Kim Knowlton of NRDC,
the group’s analysis shows that “there is a
clear interplay” between the onslaught of global warming
and increasingly higher levels of ragweed pollen, especially
in warmer urban areas already plagued with allergens.
“People
living in some of the most populated regions of this country
may be feeling the effects of global warming every allergy
season,” says Knowlton. The NRDC report concludes
that an increasing number of the 110 million Americans who
live in areas with existing ragweed problems will suffer
the consequences of global warming as their noses begin
to run and their eyes begin to water. Major metropolitan
areas in the U.S. likely to be most affected include Atlanta,
Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Chicago, among
other locales.
Public health
statistics show that about 36 million Americans suffer from
some form of seasonal allergy. While allergies can be annoying
in their own right, they are also a main contributor to
asthma and other serious respiratory problems, making them
a serious health threat in their own right. Some 17 million
Americans suffer from asthma, with well over half of them
also sensitive to the allergens that can spark an asthma
attack. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions also contribute to smog,
another trigger for asthma. Thus global warming represents
a double whammy for asthmatics with pre-existing allergies.
“Global
warming—through both its components and by-products—is
creating a perfect storm of sneezing and wheezing for allergy
and asthma suffers in the U.S.,” says Gina Solomon,
a senior scientist in NRDC’s health program. She adds
that her group’s recent analysis “shows us that
people throughout the U.S.—in the North, South, East
and West—will be very personally affected by global
warming, and we need pollution controls throughout the country
to help offset this problem.”
According to
NRDC, industrial and personal actions can help reduce increases
in allergens and combat their effects. Federal, state and
local governments can protect communities by reducing the
sources of global warming pollution and by creating better
resources for citizens in need of information about pollen
levels in their areas. Individuals can reduce their own
exposure to ragweed and other allergens by checking news
outlets for daily pollen counts before venturing outside
for long periods of time.
CONTACT:
NRDC,
“Sneezing and Wheezing,” |
