There is more news about the risks of using Nalgene bottles for drinking fluids. The concern is that bisphenol-a (a.k.a. BPA) is a material which is widely used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate, which is the plastic typically used in hard plastic bottles. Previous studies have demonstrated that BPA can leach from polycarbonate into food and fluids, but the cancer risk associated with this action is uncertain. To date, the most significant risk appears to be to children and pregnant women, as exposure to smaller human beings has the most effect.
The National Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services recently published a draft report that states that there is no direct evidence that human exposure to BPA harms reproduction or infant development. “A recent article in the New York Times sums up this draft report and provides additional information that the issue continues to be unsettled.
Consistent with our previous posts on this issue, there is no definitive information that the use of a Nalgene bottle has a clear health risk. If you’re concerned, previous studies indicate that higher temperatures are more likely to leach BPA, so you could only use cold fluids in your Nalgene and replace it periodically.