THE claim that repeated use of plastic drink bottles could cause cancer is an
urban myth, a leading chemical industry spokesman says. Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association (PACIA) chief executive Michael
Catchpole was responding to an email circulating in Australia that claims people
who refill plastic bottles for drinking risked exposure to carcinogens.
The email said US singer Sheryl Crow told a television chat show that her
breast cancer was a direct result of drinking water from plastic bottles left in
the sun.
Mr Catchpole said there was no scientific basis to the claims, which dated
back several years.
The plastic had been declared safe by Food Safety Australia New Zealand, he
said.
"The claims of several years ago were tracked back to a Canadian bottled
water manufacturer, which appeared to want to do nothing more than promote the
purchase of bottled water and to discourage people from re-using plastic bottles
refilled with tap water," Mr Catchpole said.
The said PET, the type of plastic used in drink bottles, was a very safe
material used worldwide for bottled water and for many popular soft drinks.
"People who reuse a PET bottle to carry drinking water are in no danger from
any chemicals leaching from the plastic into the water, as has been claimed in
this email. It's an urban myth." Resources: Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association (PACIA)
|
The Water Connoisseur
