Number 7 Plastics
Miscellaneous
Found in: Baby bottles, three- and five-gallon water bottles, certain food containers
A wide range of plastic resins that don't fit into the other six categories are lumped into number 7. Some are quite safe, but the ones to worry about are the hard polycarbonate varieties, as found in various drinking containers (like Nalgene bottles) and rigid plastic baby bottles.
Why? Studies have shown polycarbonate can leach bisphenol A, a potential hormone disruptor, into liquids. According to Trasande, no level of bisphenol A exposure is known to be truly safe, and in August a government panel expressed 'some concern' that the ingredient causes neural and behavioral problems in children.
Why not play it safe and swap out those hard plastic baby and water bottles for Number 1, 5 or corn-based plastics, or even shatter-resistant glass?