NJPIRG's Toxics-Free Future In The News

Most plastic baby bottles sold in the United States could be hazardous to a baby's health, according to a new report by a coalition of environmental groups.

A new report found that when some plastic bottles are heated during normal use, they leach a chemical that has produced adverse effects in animals.

The report, "Baby's Toxic Bottle," found that when the polycarbonate plastic bottles made under six major brands are heated during normal use, they leach Bisphenol A, a hormone-disrupting chemical that has produced adverse effects in animals.

"Some of our research showed that leaching also occurs at room temperature, and it becomes worse over time with more and more use," said Rebekah Scotland, legislative associate with NJPIRG.

Scotland said consumers should use glass baby bottles, plastic bottles that are advertised as "Bisphenol A-free" or polypropylene bottles labeled with recycling code No. 5. Plastic bottles with Bisphenol A typically are stamped with a "7" on the bottom.

The report, released Thursday by NJPIRG and other coalition members in the United States and Canada, was based on a study of the six most popular brands of baby bottles -- Avent, Disney/The First Years, Dr. Brown's, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex -- purchased in nine states. The study found that Dr. Brown's baby bottles leached the highest levels of the chemical, while Avent bottles leached the least.

The report, which echoed the findings of a California study of a year ago, called Bisphenol A "a developmental, neural and reproductive toxicant that mimics estrogen and can interfere with healthy growth and body function" -- a claim that the chemical industry strongly rejects.

Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council dismissed the report.

"Polycarbonate baby bottles have been safely used for decades, and the scientific evidence supporting the safety of those products has been reviewed by many independent, government and scientific bodies worldwide," he said. "Every one of those reviews supports the conclusion that these products are safe and that there is no risk to human health."

New Jersey Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Mercer, said she is drafting a bill that would require manufacturers of plastic baby bottles and toys containing Bisphenol A and certain phthalates to use the least toxic alternative instead.

As a result of the study and previous research, the coalition is petitioning retailers and manufacturers of polycarbonate baby bottles to switch immediately to safer products and to phase out bottles containing Bisphenol A.