{"id":366324,"date":"2010-02-26T12:54:25","date_gmt":"2010-02-26T17:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/?p=11115"},"modified":"2010-02-26T12:54:25","modified_gmt":"2010-02-26T17:54:25","slug":"how-to-choose-a-safe-water-bottle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/366324","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Safe Water Bottle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WaterBottleFaceOff\"I\u2019ve made my stance on bottled water quite clear before, but I\u2019ll go ahead and reiterate: bottled water is a joke<\/strong>. It\u2019s completely unnecessary, unless you\u2019re in a nation with unsafe water quality, and the plastic bottles make for excellent landfill fodder. You could reuse the bottles, but then you\u2019ve gotta worry about the plastic leaching into your water, especially the more you refill and reuse them (and don\u2019t ever stick \u2018em in the dishwasher). Poor taste is one thing \u2013 I can\u2019t expect a person to happily drink tap water that tastes terrible \u2013 but tap is perfectly safe to drink, especially if used with a simple filter. And if it weren\u2019t, most bottled water wouldn\u2019t be any better, since it\u2019s often just repackaged tap (check the label or cap \u2013 if it says \u201cfrom a municipal source\u201d or \u201cfrom a community water system\u201d or anything along similar lines, it\u2019s tap water). Sparkling water in glass bottles is justifiable (tap isn\u2019t bubbly, after all, although you could make it so at home<\/a>, and the glass bottles are definitely reusable (I like filling them with homemade salad dressings).<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re just after fresh drinking water, the tap will be fine. You can buy a filter if you like \u2013 I do, myself \u2013 or you could locate a nearby freshwater spring<\/a>, if tap isn\u2019t cutting it. The best water I\u2019ve ever tasted came from a campsite faucet in Lake Tahoe. You could taste the minerals; it was like drinking from a fresh water stream before it got dangerous. I swear, if it didn\u2019t mean a eight-hour drive each way, I\u2019d get all my water from that tap. Oh well. I\u2019m getting off topic. Just don\u2019t buy crate after crate of water in plastic bottles is the essential gist of my spiel.<\/p>\n

Still,<\/strong> bottled water is undeniably convenient<\/strong>, which is why it\u2019s probably so popular (along with unfounded fears regarding tap water safety). I can\u2019t ignore the convenience factor. I like it myself. Most people just reuse their old plastic bottles, those simple, unassuming polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. It\u2019s an environmentally friendly gesture, but it\u2019s one that may promote health issues<\/a>, including the leaching of DEHP \u2013 a potent carcinogen \u2013 with repeated use. And, of course, there\u2019s always our old friend, Bisphenol A<\/a>, to contend with when plastics are involved. He turns up in the darndest of places, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should simply throw in the towel. Avoid those old plastic bottles. Then there are the glass bottles. Safe? Yeah, but they\u2019re also heavy and fragile \u2013 not the ideal water vessel for active individuals like our readers.<\/p>\n

A better option is to go with a permanent water bottle expressly designed for the purpose.<\/strong> There are dozens on the market, but it usually comes down to a standoff between bottles made of polycarbonate plastics, aluminum, and stainless steel. Let’s see if we can find a clear winner.<\/p>\n

Polycarbonate bottles<\/h2>\n

\"PlasticWaterBottle\"<\/p>\n

These are the \u201csafe\u201d plastic bottles; the permanent ones. They\u2019re incredibly durable, and they exude an air of impermeability. They don\u2019t wither under heat, like the PET bottles, and they maintain their shape. Plus, they often come in neat colors and attractive mesh shoulder slings. All the cool kids are using them, but should you?<\/p>\n

I\u2019d stay away. Polycarbonates have been proven to leach BPA into drinking water<\/a>. There are no good reasons to take any chances considering the reams of animal data showing definitive deleterious effects outlined in the last BPA post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But what about “BPA-free” plastic water bottles? Despite BPA-free claims I remain skeptical of plastic water bottles. With misinformation<\/a> and the unregulated state of bioaccumulating pollutants<\/a>, for my money there are much safer options.<\/p>\n

Aluminum bottles<\/h2>\n

\"AluminumWaterBottle\"<\/p>\n

Aluminum is a solid choice. They\u2019re pretty durable and very light, but they\u2019re also expensive. Aluminum water bottles have become pretty damn trendy, if that weighs on your decision at all. Sure, trendiness can be annoying and all, but at least it shows people are becoming more aware of the folly of buying several plastic bottles of water a day \u2013 and that\u2019s always a good thing. Is aluminum the way to go?<\/p>\n

I hesitate to give my unequivocal affirmation. While the newest (post 2009) aluminum water bottle models from Sigg are claiming to be free of BPA, all their earlier stuff has it in the interior lining. So, the most recent Sigg bottles are probably safe, but as for the bottles from other, less reputable companies? I wouldn\u2019t take a chance. Sigg is the biggest name in the aluminum water bottle game, and if they\u2019re only just now ditching the BPA (a move momentous enough for the president to turn into a public statement<\/a><\/a>) in their bottles, I\u2019d be careful about buying aluminum bottles from other companies. And definitely avoid filling an aluminum bottle with acidic liquid (not that PB folks are big lemonade drinkers or anything), which can cause the aluminum itself to leach.<\/p>\n

Stainless Steel bottles<\/h2>\n

\"stainlesssteelwaterbottle\"<\/p>\n

Stainless steel wins, in my book. Sure, it\u2019s a bit heavier, but it\u2019s a proven material, and it won\u2019t leach (and if it could, you\u2019d have pure steel running through your veins \u2013 a net win, if you ask me). If you\u2019re attacked by a mountain lion, your stainless steel water bottle becomes a dangerous weapon. You can fell the vicious beast, wipe the blood off, then immediately take a sip of refreshing water. You think polycarbonate and aluminum bottles could do that? Please. Wild animals in this country have (sadly) seen more than enough used condoms and faded cans of Budweiser to last them a lifetime. They\u2019d laugh at your plastics and pseudo-metals (who ever heard of a metal that a ten year-old boy could crush underfoot?). If you tried to face down a big wild cat with a polycarbonate bottle, you\u2019d better hope that feral felines are highly sensitive to trace amounts of BPA.<\/p>\n

Seriously, though, stainless steel is the best choice, followed closely by reputable aluminum bottles. With steel, you don\u2019t have to worry about weird chemicals, nor do you have to spend a ton of cash to keep up with a trend, making it the clear choice for anyone interested in a durable, reliable permanent water bottle. Kleen Kanteen<\/a> appears to be a trusted manufacturer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What do you use to transport your H20? Is there anything I’ve overlooked? Any additional safety concerns? Share your infinite wisdom in the comment board!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts<\/a> Delivered to Your Inbox<\/em><\/h4>\n

Related posts:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Are Plastics Safe?<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Blinged Out Water?<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Is Canned Food Safe to Eat?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    I\u2019ve made my stance on bottled water quite clear before, but I\u2019ll go ahead and reiterate: bottled water is a joke. It\u2019s completely unnecessary, unless you\u2019re in a nation with unsafe water quality, and the plastic bottles make for excellent landfill fodder. You could reuse the bottles, but then you\u2019ve gotta worry about the plastic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-366324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}