I found a link to this article on another forum...
Nalgene Water Bottles Appear to be Unsafe

Article by Dr. Joseph Mercola

Nalgene Water Bottles Appear to be Unsafe

Although the colorful, durable and lightweight Nalgene water bottles have been the hydration choice of outdoor enthusiasts, scientific evidence has shown the plastic used to make the bottle may pose serious health hazards.

Made from Lexan polycarbonate resin and marketed through Nalgene Outdoor Products, Lexan was envisioned to be the ideal material for water bottles due to its durability and the way the material of the bottle didn’t hold any odors or flavors to distort the taste of the liquid being stored in the bottle.

A study that involved researching birth defects and developmental abnormalities that caused miscarriages in mice raised the suspicions on all polycarbonate plastics.

The study revealed a sudden increase in aneuploidy, a defect consisting of abnormal loss or gain of chromosomes, which in humans could possibly lead to miscarriages or disorders such as Down Syndrome.

The spontaneous jump in mouse aneuploidy was traced back to a lab worker, who used a strong detergent to clean the mice cages and water bottles. The effects of the detergent resulted in the plastic attaching itself to bisphenol, a chemical that mimics the female hormone estrogen.

Research has shown that low BPA levels have had an adverse effect on prostate development, tumors, breast tissue development, sperm count and enlargement of fat cells in the body.

Scientists have warned against allowing any polycarbonate plastics near your food or water and stated the devastating effects of these chemicals posed the biggest risk to babies during early development.

Despite the warnings, polycarbonate plastics continue to be used in a wide variety of products including food storage cans, dental sealants and the Nalgene Lexan bottles.

Daily Barometer March 23, 2004


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Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Well, they fooled me. Even though I knew plastics could leach BPA from the study I posted last year the research did not yet indicate that Lexan leached this chemical. Now, there is enough of a concern that I am throwing away my Nalgene Lexan bottles.

The only time I used them is when I traveled though, as glass is far too fragile to travel with on planes. Nalgene does make a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle that is identical in size and shape to the more popular Lexan model and that is the one I will be getting.

Plastics that are safer to use for storing food and beverages, none of which are known to leach harmful substances include:

Polypropylene, designated "#5 PP"
High-density polyethylene, designated "#2HDPE"
Low-density polyethylene, designated "#4 LDPE"
So pay attention to the container you store your water in. If you can’t use glass, only use one of the above "safe" plastic jars. Also, don’t forget to apply this information when using baby bottles and other food containers.

Forgot to add, I am sure that there are studies disputing this out there... but haven't found any yet.

However, I won't be getting ride of mine anytime soon.

This one keeps popping up, 2nd forum today. I think that this has been debunked here previously. A search should find all the info.

Dave

And if you spread caustic lye on your sandwich it probably won't do you much good, either.

"...was traced back to a lab worker, who used a strong detergent to clean the mice cages and water bottles. The effects of the detergent resulted in the plastic attaching itself to bisphenol..."

So..... don't do that. Use mild sooap and water like anyone with a functioning brain. Don't use Lysol. Don't use Draino. Don't use acetone. Don't use paint thinner.

Like one of my previous bosses said about the reversal on the saccharine tests ("The tests were flawed"): "So they filled up a 55-gallon drum with saccharine, threw in a hundred mice, fastened the lid down. After a week, they came back and yep, all the mice were dead, all right. Musta been the sacchine. It kills!" <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

And there goes more of our tax money.

Sue

If I remember correctly, the original Lexan bottle scare was due to high heat releasing the nasties from the plastic.

Forgive me, I'm being lazy and not searching for the past thread; I think the advice was to hand wash the bottles instead of throwing them in the dishwasher (too much heat).

I prefer the Lexan version over the HDPE version Nalgene bottles and they are just plain indestructible. There's worse things out there anyway...

after following a link from Nalgene Outdoors...
Bisphenol A

"These studies consistently show that the potential migration of BPA into food is extremely low, generally less than 5 parts per billion under conditions typical for uses of polycarbonate products. At this level, a consumer would have to ingest more than 1,300 pounds of food and beverages in contact with polycarbonate every day for an entire lifetime to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

I think we would be safe drinking from the bottles from time to time.