Nalgene

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Nalgene Logo

Nalgene (sometimes referred to as Nalge Nunc International) is a distributor and manufacturer of plastic laboratory containers that has diversified into the field of containers for outdoor sports.

Its original line included jars, bottles, test tubes, graduated cylinders, Petri dishes, and the like. At the time of introduction, these products were helpful to workers such as chemists and biologists because they were shatterproof and lighter than glass. They also make polycarbonate cages and cage accessories for lab animals. The properties of the respective plastics make them suitable for work with many materials, in various temperature ranges.

In the 1970s, conservationists began discouraging the former wilderness approach of disposing of cans and glass containers by burning and burying, lest such debris clutter or otherwise damage wilderness and recreation areas, and some places began forbidding such materials by regulation. Nalgene products became popular replacements among backpackers for storing consumables; the light, wide-mouthed, HDPE and Lexan bottles were more secure than plastic bags, and found use for both liquids and solid foods.

The classic Nalgene bottle

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Originally, wilderness travelers purchased Nalgene products through laboratory-equipment suppliers (or perhaps got access to them in their workplaces), but the company has re-packaged and marketed items that most appeal to them for consumer sales. By the late 1990s, the "Nalgene" trademark was recognized by many hikers and sales of the 1 liter wide-mouth bottle of tinted transparent polycarbonate (typically grey, but sometimes in bright colors), with a screw-on plastic top that stays attached when the bottle is open, began to increase. Now, most hikers and others recognize the distinctive appearance of Nalgene-branded bottles. Its laboratory pedigree is suggested by the markings, in hundreds of milliliters, of the volumes contained when filled to the corresponding levels. The materials preclude stains or absorbing odors, and permit filling the bottle with boiling water (to delay the time, in sub-freezing conditions, when the contents freeze up). The wide-mouth bottle is recommended over the newer, narrow-mouth bottles in sub-freezing conditions as well since it is easier to break through freeze-up ice in the wider mouth.

Products originated by other manufacturers, that are designed for compatibility with this item's overall dimensions or its 63 mm neck include:

Screw-on water-purifying filters.
Stainless-steel collapsible-handle cups, for drinking and/or stove-top cooking, that store compactly with a Nalgene liter-bottle nested inside them.
Nylon-fabric cases, each holding one Nalgene 1 liter bottle; these insulate the bottle, and provide strong, stable attachment points. In most cases, a nested cup, as noted above, is also accommodated, if desired.
Snap-in plastic "splash guards" that narrow the neck opening to a size where drinking while in motion is unlikely to cause spilling.

Another widely available Nalgene outdoors product is a 650 ml (22 fl oz) "All-Terrain" or "bike" bottle; the bottle itself is LDPE; its screw top has two moving parts: a drinking nozzle that seals until snapped open by pulling on it, and a hinged Lexan dome, that when closed both snaps the nozzle closed and protects the nozzle against contamination. (Not all Nalgene customers understand that this item will be damaged, and potentially ruined -- despite the company name -- by filling it with very hot water.)

Recently, Nalgene has added hydration systems to its cycling and wilderness product line. Its emphasis is on back-carried 1 to 3 liter bladders, with hose-and-bite-valve assemblies, in small packs (mostly under 1000 cubic inches (16 L) of additional storage). Nalgene's offering an option as to bladder material suggests they may intend to claim superior odor- and stain-resistance; in addition, the ability to quickly detach a bladder from its hose and pack (with a self-sealing connector on the bladder), seems aimed at dissatisfaction, in traditional hydration systems, with problems of awkward filling and/or spilling water into gear that shares the pack.

Increased awareness of the importance of hydration, and perhaps a fad of wilderness chic, have led to the appearance of some Nalgene containers in urban and suburban settings like gyms, offices, and campuses. Several colleges give or sell Nalgene water bottles to their students.

In 1997 Nalgene was targeted in a nationwide boycott by campus based animal rights activists for products used in live experimentation. The majority of company criticism was directed towards a Nalgene device that prevents rabbits from breaking their own backs during pyrogen testing (this process includes injection, bleeding and inducing fever). The company has responded with an official statement^[1] that it supported research "conducted only within the guidelines of the federal Animal Welfare Act and only when necessary."

[edit] Possible health risks

In recent years, numerous studies ^[2] have suggested that polycarbonate plastics such as the ones used by Nalgene may leach estrogen analogs into heated or acidic liquids, although Nalgene denies this. It is important to note that estrogen analogs are not, in fact, estrogen, as many have come to believe. Among the secreted chemicals, Bisphenol A is most responsible for the reaction with estrogen. Other research has found that fixatives in polycarbonate plastics can cause chromosomal error in cell division called aneuploidy.

BPA Defined Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastic, a lightweight and extremely durable material. Examples of the numerous consumer products that are made entirely or in part of polycarbonate include CD cases, computers, safety glasses, cell phones and a variety of food contact products such as baby bottles, water bottles and food storage containers.

Safety Polycarbonate plastic has been authorized for use in food and beverage contact applications by government agencies worldwide, and safely used for more than 50 years. During that time, polycarbonate and BPA have been extensively studied and tested for health and safety by both manufacturers and government agencies. The Food and Drug Administration; The Environmental Protection Agency; The European Commission Scientific Committee on Food; the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment; the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and other researchers around the world have studied the safety of BPA and polycarbonate for approximately 40 of the 50 years in which BPA has been used as an industrial “ingredient.” Findings of all major studies indicate that the quantity of BPA required to manufacture food and beverage containers does not pose any health risk to humans.

Significant Studies Supporting the Safety of BPA• Research Triangle Institute (now RTI International), under the sponsorship of a plastics industry consortium, exposed rats to low doses of BPA and found no evidence of health or reproductive effects over three generations. 2001 • Chemical Compound Safety Research Institute for the Japanese National Institute of Health Sciences exposed rats to low doses of BPA and found no health or reproductive effects over two generations. 2001 • National Toxicology Program, co-sponsored by the U.S. EPA and NIEHS, confirmed “the inability of other credible studies in several different laboratories to observe low-dose effects of BPA, and the consistency of these negative studies [showing no health or reproductive effects from low-dose exposure].” 2001 • U.S. EPA confirmed conclusions that low-dose effects of BPA were not demonstrated. 2002 • Comprehensive risk assessment on BPA by the European Commission and reviewed by the EU’s Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE) found that “there is no convincing evidence that low doses of bisphenol-A have effects on developmental parameters in offspring.” 2002 • Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry concluded there is no need for regulatory action. 2002 • Scientific panel convened by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found “no consistent affirmative evidence of lowdose BPA effects for any endpoint.” 2004

An alternative is available in the polyethylene versions of these products (made out of HDPE, Nalgene's traditional material), which are free of these chemicals. They can be identified by their greater flexibility, their translucent, "milky" appearance, and by the number 2 triangular plastic recycling symbol on the bottom.