Think before you drink!

I don't smoke, I'm a very light drinker, I eat sensibly and exercise regularly -- all in the name of good health. And now I find out that my bottled water (which I drink instead of pop) could be leaching toxic chemicals into my body. Great, just great! This was the topic they were discussing on CBC Radio the other day (Friday, July 14) as I was filling up my son's plastic sippy cup with water. Could I be poisoning my baby and not even know it? According to Dr. Fred vom Saal, a researcher from the University of Missouri, I very well could be.

It turns out that many plastics that we use everyday -including containers we eat and drink out of- leach a polycarbonate resin called Bisphenol A, or BPA. When interviewed on the subject, Dr. vom Saal pointed out a number of risks that BPA pose, including low sperm count, miscarriages, and irreversible damage to an infant's developing organs.

Horrified by what I was hearing, I began scanning the room for things made out of plastic. Toys, reusable containers, sippy cups, plastic bags and bottles --there was plastic all around me! According to the CBC reporter who presented the story, BPA's are found in many of these common household items.

So, how do you know which plastics are dangerous and which ones are safe? I guess I wasn't the only listener with this question. The story generated so many inquiries, that they provided some follow-up information earlier this week. Here are some tips the CBC provided on identifying the potentially dangerous ones:

Be wary of hard, transparent plastic. The worst BPA culprits are plastics labeled with a number 1, 3 or 7.

Plastic that is opaque is generally safe. Also, if it has a number 2, 4 or 5 on it it's probably okay.

I was disturbed to find that many of the plastic items in my house didn't have numbers on them (including the sippy cup). The only way I'll know for sure is to contact the manufacturers directly to find out.

Of course, I'm going to take all of this with a grain of salt. I'm no expert. And, I haven't actually read the hundreds of studies that the reporter said this evidence was based on. If Health Canada isn't yanking plastic products off the shelves, I probably shouldn't quake in my boots every time I drink from a plastic cup.

That being said, if you come across an opaque sippy cup, pick one up for me! I'd rather be safe than sorry.