Jana Kunz Photography

I have been considering blogging about this next topic but just haven’t had time to do it until now. I thought it was kind of important since a lot of people drink out of 5 gallon water coolers at work and at home. I did. At least I did at work. The problem didn’t really start until I started a new job earlier this year. At my old job they did not have 5-gallon water coolers, just filtered (disgusting) water systems that tasted like it was coming straight out of the river nearby. I always wondered if they ever cleaned those things. I brought to work my own water instead. Anyway, back to the 5-gallon water coolers. So my tongue was feeling kind of funny at work, not enough to alarm me at first, but more annoying. It wasn’t until I was sick about a month ago that I really started to take notice that something was really wrong. My tongue was really hurting and felt swollen. I didn’t know why it was doing this, I felt like I needed to drink more water. I drink a lot of water in the first place, but the more I drank the worse I felt. I would go home and my symptoms would slowly go away and I wouldn’t have the problem at all over that weekend. Monday I came back to work and my tongue started hurting and swelling again. A light bulb went off! It was only happening when I was drinking the water at work. I started to investigate the situation and do my own testing. At first I thought it was the plastic cup I was drinking out of. I checked out the recycling symbol on the bottom of the glass and it was a 6. I looked it up online and was told that this was a bad plastic to be drinking out of. The site I read only talked about the 6 symbol so I didn’t really know about the others. I decided to eliminate the plastic cup and bring in a real glass and solve my problem. Well, The next day the problem persisted to no avail, though not as bad. I looked into the situation a little further and noticed that the top of the 5-gallon water jug had a recycling symbol 7 on it. Low and behold, according to the National Geographic website (http://www.thegreenguide.com/products/Kitchen/Plastic_Containers) that is the worst plastic that could possibly hold consumables!!! And I am drinking that water, putting it in my body. I felt very betrayed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This is what the website says:

#7 Polycarbonate (PC) is found in baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. PC is composed of a hormone-disrupting chemical called bisphenol A, which has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as cancer and obesity.

Many #7 polycarbonate bottles (including baby bottles), microwave ovenware, eating utensils and plastic coatings for metal cans are made with bisphenol A (BPA). Many studies have found that BPA interferes with hormones, as phthalates do, and a March 1998 study in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) found that BPA simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer cells.

A growing number of scientists are concluding, from animal tests, that exposure to BPA in the womb raises the risk of certain cancers, hampers fertility and could contribute to childhood behavioral problems such as hyperactivity. A January 2006 EHP study on mice indicated that BPA alters the function of mouse pancreatic cells, which produce insulin, suggesting that the chemical may enhance the risk of developing Type II diabetes. Finally, an early 2007 study on BPA in rats found that it led to increased growth, suggesting that the chemical might trigger obesity.

Pretty scary stuff isn’t it! The website advises against plastics that have a recycling code of 3, 6 or 7 on them. Most sports bottles have a 7 on the bottom of them. 

I stopped drinking out of that water source and brought in my own and have not had any more problems. Okay, I admit that I have one cup of coffee in the morning and that water comes out of the 5 gallon container - and yes I can feel my tongue acting funny - but I need my coffee until I can come up with a solution. That is when I discovered Jana Water, LOL. That is getting kind of expensive and I am looking into a filtration jug or something I can keep at work, but bringing in my own bottled water is working for now. Most bottled water is a 1 on the recycling chart, which is deemed very safe.

So this is just my little story in hopes to make others aware. My mom said the same thing happens to her when she drinks out of the 5-gallon water machine at her place of employment also. Makes you think….