ü  A 2008 Harvard University study found that spending a week drinking from polycarbonate bottles raised BPA levels by 69%. (http://ehsehplp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0900604)

ü  The FDA has expressed concern for the effects of BPA on fetuses, infants, and young children. Sports water bottles are a source of exposure for these vulnerable groups.

ü  Getting rid of BPA in water bottles will reduce pregnant women’s exposures, a critical step for protecting the developing fetus. Pregnant women need to drink a lot of water for a healthy pregnancy. Washington Toxics Coalition’s Earliest Exposures study found nine out of nine pregnant women were exposed to BPA during pregnancy. Drinking from a polycarbonate water bottle increases exposure to BPA. The placenta can’t block BPA, so what’s in the mom is in the fetus, with potential to disrupt development during critical windows of vulnerability.

ü  Ensuring sports water bottles aren’t made with BPA will also protect young children. Children often drink out of a water bottle because the bottles are easy to fill and carry.

ü  Alternatives to polycarbonate bottles are readily available. Nalgene and Camelbak, makers of the most popular sports water bottles, have both switched to alternative materials for their water bottles. Yet, unfortunately, polycarbonate bottles remain on the shelves in some stores.