Yes, phthalates have been linked to potential problems too. Although it is part of PET's name, it is part of the polymer backbone, and is not typically considered a problem. When water companies or universities have done taste panels with bottles water (this is a very bland product, so any off-flavor is easily noticed), there can be flavor from either the bottle or bottlecap. Acetaldehyde (AA) can come from PET bottles, lots of flavor can come from HDPE bottles (e.g., blowing agents), and some closures use a soft liner to create a good seal. Those liners are usually used in carbonated drinks, and some of them include phthalates, which can contribute off-flavors. The AA that can come from PET bottles is a naturally occuring compound that exists in ripe fruit, coffee, and bread so it is not considered a problem at the ppm level.

Re: PVC... PVC is only used for the drains... not the supply lines

Re: Watchdogs... not surprising at all. US regulations on EVERYTHING are lower than in Europe. Regulations are bad for business you see. Go USA.

"Re: PVC... PVC is only used for the drains... not the supply lines"

My bad. CPVC plumbing.

http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=18255

Next thing you know, they'll find out that life leads to death.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080130/heat_bottles_080130/20080130/

Heat causes chemical to leach from plastic bottles

Updated Wed. Jan. 30 2008 2:37 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Water and baby bottles made from polycarbonate plastic release a potentially dangerous chemical called bisphenol A much faster when boiling water is poured into them, researchers say in a new study.

Scientists from the University of Cincinnati found that when hard plastic drinking bottles were exposed to boiling water, BPA was released 55 times more rapidly and in higher amounts than when they were filled with room temperature water.

When the bottles were filled with cool water, the rate of BPA release ranged from 0.2 to 0.8 nanograms per hour. After the bottles were exposed to boiling water, rates increased to 8 to 32 nanograms per hour.

And they found that the age of the bottles didn't matter: well-used bottles were just as likely to leach the chemical, which has been called a hormone disruptor, as newer ones.

"Bottles used for up to nine years released the same amount of BPA as new bottles," study author and associate professor Scott Belcher said of his team's experiments.

The study is published in the journal, Toxicology Letters.

The finding is important for parents with bottle-fed children, since many plastic baby bottles are made of polycarbonate plastic and parents are advised to repeatedly sterilize the bottles in boiling water for long periods. According to the study, following that advice would make the bottles release BPA faster.

The finding may also be significant to hikers who may use the bottles from which to drink hot chocolate or other hot beverages.

Bisphenol A has been the focus of much scrutiny in recent years, with worries that the chemical mimics estrogen. There are fears the chemical can cause earlier onset of puberty in girls, declining sperm counts, and raise the risk of breast and prostate cancer.

"There is a large body of scientific evidence demonstrating the harmful effects of very small amounts of BPA in laboratory and animal studies, but little clinical evidence related to humans," Belcher said in a statement.

"There is a very strong suspicion in the scientific community, however, that this chemical has harmful effects on humans."

Health Canada is currently conducting a "high priority" evaluation of the chemical. The agency notes that while BPA is not bioaccumulative (meaning it doesn't persist in the environment or build up in fat stores), it was recently classified for reproductive toxicity by the European Commission and can cause harm to aquatic organisms.

Health Canada is expected to publish its conclusions on BPA in May.

BPA is used in the manufacture of a wide variety of plastic consumer products, including water bottles. It's also used as a component of composite resin dental materials, and in resins that line food and beverage cans.

Polycarbonate plastic food and beverage containers that contain BPA are labeled #7 inside a triangle-shaped recycling symbol on the bottom of the bottle.

However, not all containers with the recycling symbol #7 are made with BPA.

Late last year, Mountain Equipment Co-op became the first retailer in Canada to stop selling some products that contain BPA "until guidance is provided by the Government of Canada on the health risks posed by BPA."
Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica later also decided to pull water bottles containing BPA from the shelves of its athletic and yoga wear stores.

Here's an interesting article from a few months ago with several good references.

And heres a portion of what they wrote:
"The levels reported by Calafat et al. indicate the exposure for many people is above the EPA's reference dose of 50 μg/kg/day, according to calculations reported in a comprehensive examination of human exposures published in August 2007. The reference dose is an exposure level calculated by the EPA that is, in theory, low enough to be safe. Many studies have been published in the last 10 years indicating that the current reference dose is dramatically out of date and far too high. Indeed, a careful analysis of the data available on human and animal metabolism of BPA indicates that levels in people today are higher than those sufficient to cause a wide range of adverse effects in animals."