What appears to be a harmless plastic water bottle comprises hormone-disrupting chemicals like Phthalates and BPA. Phthalates are particularly concerning for boys and men as they are associated with male infertility. BPA has proven to cause hormone imbalance and has been linked to various kinds of cancers and neurological disorders. Using plastic free drink bottles can help with this.
Cost of Convenience
As detrimental as plastics are to human beings, worldwide plastic pollution put everyone in danger of unwanted exposure. Although plastic water bottles are low-cost, convenient and disposable, they are dreadful for our ecosystem as well. In fact, much of the adverse health effects credited to the dangerous components in plastic could come from the growing plastic burden.
Every year, tons of plastic waste is discarded into the ocean. The combination of the salt of the ocean and UV light cause the breakdown of plastics and the release of Phthalates, BPA, DDT and PCBs into the water. Small marine life absorbs these chemicals and they ultimately move up the food supply chain.
In fact, studies have found that no ocean across the globe is devoid of plastic pollution. In addition, a number of experts have stated that plastic pollution is the most dismal issue currently facing the ocean and the planet. In the Antarctic, plastic chemicals were found beneath 30 feet of ice and this place is not even inhabited by human beings and not previously thought to be polluted by plastic waste.
The Danger
The consumption of plastic is still rising at a tremendous rate. Every year, trillions of plastic bags and bottles are discarded and they can take as much as 1000 years to degrade. During that period, hormone-disrupting chemicals are being released into the soil, groundwater and ocean.
Even now, each square mile of the ocean has a projected 46,000 pieces of plastic just floating around in it. At the rate at which plastic is being utilized and discarded and the period of time this material takes to degrade, it is not hard to see that plastic overuse is likely to become the biggest ecological and health problem in these times.
Plastic Free Drink Bottles
While water bottles are not the lone source of plastic waste, they are a key source of exposure to plastic. Hormone-disrupting chemicals from plastic water bottles can seep right into the water they hold. Light or heat exposure can accelerate this process and so can the period of time the water is kept in the bottle. Consider using glass or stainless steel water bottles to combat this serious issue.
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