Sudarshan Kumar, a 28-year-old businessman based in east Calcutta, loves to use plastic bottles. “They are handy and portable,” he says. For Kumar’s family members, life is inconceivable without such bottles. But going by recent studies on the safety of plastic bottles, Kumar and millions across India may be in for a rude shock.

A study by scientists from the University of Heidelberg in Germany published in the journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry this year, states that 63 brands of bottled water from Canada and Europe were found to have traces of the antimony metal in them. Antimony is used in paints, ceramics and enamels. The study reveals that water stored in PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are contaminated with antimony from their containers. And antimony can have toxic effects on the body.

Among the various kinds of plastic bottles in use, PET bottles are the most popular since they are used not only for drinks but also for filtering beverage products, food packaging and in the pharmaceutical industry. “The Heidelberg study provides cause for alarm since PET bottles have traditionally been assumed to be safe,” remarks Ravi Agarwal, director of Toxics Link, an organisation that researches plastics in Delhi.

The Heidelberg paper comes in the wake of a study done at the University of Idaho in the US that suggests reusing PET bottles is a health hazard as it makes the constituent chemicals unstable. “As PET breaks down, a plasticiser called diethylhexyladipate (DEHA) is released into the water,” explains plastic engineer K.K. Bakshi, a member of the Indian Plastics Institute. DEHA has been linked to cancer in humans, he adds.

Debashish Ghosh, law officer of the West Bengal Consumer Affairs Department, feels that any product that affects human health ultimately affects human rights. “The recent findings are of great concern to the consumer since plastic bottles are ubiquitous. Manufacturers have to make sure that they are conforming to Bureau of Indian Standards guidelines,” he says.

However, the findings on the dangers of plastic bottles are inconclusive. The Idaho study has been refuted by the US Food and Drugs Administration and the Heidelberg paper mentions that further research needs to be done to ascertain the exact effect of any release of antimony in water.

Doctors, however, do mention that there are dangers involved in using plastic bottles. “Some plastic bottles contain Bisphenol-A(BPA), a chemical that is a hormone disruptor,” says Ashish Mukherjee, former oncologist at Kothari Medical Centre in Calcutta. He says that there have been studies in the US that link breast cancer in women to the increase in the use of plastic materials. “The use of PET bottles can be a factor in the development of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women,” he says.

But a lot depends on the quality of the bottles. Explains Kalyan Bhattacharya, head of radiation oncology at Advanced Medicare and Research Institute (AMRI), Dhakuria, in Calcutta, “Plastics contain hydrocarbons and hydrocarbons have been known to cause cancer. Plastic molecules which have a low molecular weight are likely to dissolve upon contact with water. Generally low quality plastics are prone to such disintegration,” he states. He, however, adds that plastic molecules contaminating water is a hypothesis and not a proven fact.

There are other problems associated with PET bottles. Pervez Alam, project coordinator at Chintan, an environmental organisation in Delhi, mentions that it may be prudent to use alternatives to PET such as glass because they are difficult to recycle. “Most manufacturers do not recycle these bottles since collecting and transporting PET waste to the recycling centres is an expensive proposition,” he says. Alam also mentions that PET releases acetaldehyde into the various products stored in it. “Acetaldehyde can cause irritation to the eyes, skin and the respiratory tract,” he elaborates.

Plastic bottle manufacturers, however, insist that their products are safe and well tested. Nakul Seth, director of Pearl Polymers Limited, which manufactures PET bottles, emphasises that PET bottles are “100 per cent safe”. “The plastic material, PET, used for mineral water and other beverage bottles, has been thoroughly tested and approved for food contact and use by international health authorities,” he points out. He does acknowledge, however, that reusing food or drinks container without washing can result in the spread of germs. “The toxicological properties of PET and any compound that might migrate under test conditions have been studied and they demonstrate that PET is safe for its intended uses,” he says, adding that the US Food & Drug Administration has determined that PET meets food safety standards.

Agrees Ajay Desai, president of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association. “Plastic bottles have been used for a very long time and it is surprising that some are trying to paint a doomsday scenario now,” he notes. Desai points out that plastic bottles would never have evolved rapidly worldwide if they were to pose a health hazard.

The ongoing debate has alerted government bodies and consumer organisations. “If it is proved that plastic bottles are releasing toxic materials, we will start an all-out campaign against their use in the city,” declares lawyer and city mayor, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.

Sensationalising a scientific finding can lead to hysteria and public reaction may get out of hand. Bejon Mishra, CEO of the Delhi-based Consumer Voice, says that although the public has the right to know the ingredients of products it uses, multiple laboratory tests have to be done before a conclusion is drawn on the safety of a product. Opinions are varied but for people like Sudarshan Kumar it is best to be forewarned.

words of advice

• Avoid plastic bottles made of polycarbonate.

• Avoid repeated use of PET bottles.

• Avoid using PET bottles with scratches and discolouration.

• Keep PET bottles away from heat.