Reusable water
bottles sold here mostly did not leach BPA:
CASE
SINGAPORE: Tests on 20 different reusable plastic water bottles
sold in the Republic have shown that almost all of them had no
detectable levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) leaching into the water,
according to a study by the Consumers Association of Singapore
(CASE).
BPA, a carbon-based synthetic compound used to make plastics
such as polycarbonate and polysulfone, has been linked to heart
problems and diabetes in humans. The Agri-Food & Veterinary
Authority of Singapore adopts the European Union BPA migration
limit of 0.6 μg per ml – the tolerable amount of BPA that may
transfer to liquid in a plastic container, and has also banned BPA
in baby bottles.
Of the 20 water bottles tested, no BPA was found in 19 of them,
and the last one – by Chinese manufacturer Zenxin – had BPA within
the acceptable limit, said CASE. The Zenxin polycarbonate bottle,
which did not carry a “BPA-free” claim, released 0.08 μg of BPA per
ml of water, within the EU limit.
The bottles, which came in different sizes and prices and were
from a variety of brands, were purchased from supermarkets,
neighbourhood retail outlets and outdoor shops in Singapore, said
CASE.
CASE also advised consumers to follow the bottle manufacturers’
usage and cleaning instructions, and to only use them as
recommended "in order to reduce the deterioration of the product
and the leaching of harmful chemicals".
- CNA/av
