Washington, Oct 17 (ANI): A new study, conducted by researchers from Harvard University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has revealed that drinking water from plastic bottles made with the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) increases urinary levels of the chemical by nearly 70 percent.

BPA is an industrial chemical that makes plastics hard and transparent, reports Environmental News Network.

It is widely used in plastic drinking bottles, infant bottles and other consumer products, and also in resins that line cans of food and infant formula.

The study, conducted on 77 student volunteers, showed that the chemical disrupts the hormonal system, potentially leading to reproductive defects as well as brain damage, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. (ANI)