You would have to drink 1000 liters of bottled water a day to approach Canada’s provisional tolerable daily intake for the chemical bisphenol A, according to the latest research by Health Canada. (Not only is this practically impossible, rapid consumption of even six or seven liters of water in the space of a few hours could kill you, a rather dramatic illustration of the principle that anything can be poisonous if consumed in large enough quantities).
Health Canada tested a total sample of 68 bottles of 54 different bottled water products marketed under 21 brands from 16 companies. Levels of BPA averaged 1.5 parts per billion and it noted that
“The contribution of BPA levels in bottled water to the overall exposure is negligible for the general population, and the consumption of water from polycarbonate carboys does not pose a safety concern.”
A separate survey of BPA in 122 baby food products prepackaged in glass jars with metal lids -
“clearly indicate that exposure to BPA through the consumption of jarred baby food products would be extremely low. The low levels of BPA found in jarred baby food products available for sale in Canada confirms Health Canada’s previous assessment conclusion that the current dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging uses is not expected to pose a health risk to the consumer.”
Environmental activists have warned the public that drinking water from plastic water bottles puts them at risk for man boobs and diabetes, while news organizations, such as USA Today have warned that the levels of BPA in plastic bottles are associated with cancer, early onset puberty, and obesity.
