New, bpa free Nalgene bottles sit on the shelf Monday afternoon at the Backwoods store in Norman. Research has shown that bpa is a chemical known to cause negative health affects, and is especially harmful to pregnant women and infants. Michelle Gray/The Daily

The Nalgene company, known for its durable water bottles, has halted production of a line of bottles containing a chemical that could cause cancer. But these bottles are still available at some Norman retailers.

According to Nalgene’s Web site, the bottle was not a recalled, but the company replaced the line made with polycarbonate, which contained the chemical bisphenol-a, after consumer demands for non-BPA products grew. The new version is made from copolyester.

Studies from the National Toxicology program and the Canadian government found potential health concerns related to BPA intake, including cancer risks and the early onset of puberty. According to the site, the reports were not conclusive.

Backwoods, a Norman sports retailer, sells both the new and old Nalgene bottles. The store will continue to sell the old bottles containing BPA until they are sold out, said Pam Cherek, sales manager.

Neither the Federal Drug Administration nor the Environmental Protection Agency has banned or taken a position on the use of BPA in consumer food products, according to Backwoods’ position statement on plastic bottles.

Cherek said some customers prefer the new bottles, but others are not as concerned about the possible health risks. The store has not seen a drop in the bottle’s sales, she said.

“[The risk] really hasn’t been proven,” she said. “The danger would be when it’s exposed to high temperatures and when it’s worn out or scratched,” Cherek said.

Nalgene’s polycarbonate bottles are stronger and more durable than the new ones, which is why some customers prefer them, Cherek said.

Richard Loeffler, an accounting senior who owns nine Nalgene bottles, said he uses the bottles daily and does not see a difference in quality between the old and new bottles. He said he recently bought one of the new bottles but still uses the old ones.

“I wasn’t extremely worried about [the BPA],” he said. “I still kind of use my old ones a lot. I don’t know enough about the material to know if it actually is causing harm in people.”

Loeffler said he sent an e-mail to the company after the bottle controversy surfaced. He said Nalgene’s response defended the safety of the bottles and said the company is still researching the product.

Ratcliffe’s Textbooks took Nalgene bottles off the shelves when it heard about BPA health concerns last April, said manager Charissa Siebert. But she said numerous student requests at the start of the school year caused the store put them back out.

“I just don’t think I’d put anything on the shelf if I thought it was really harmful,” she said. “The studies said it was not conclusive.”

Siebert said many students who purchased a Nalgene bottle recently knew about the chemical warnings, but did not seem concerned.

Lindsay Hodges, elementary education senior, said she planned to buy a Nalgene bottle, but her mother advised against it because of the possible BPA health risk. She said she bought a metal water bottle instead.

“I’m really glad I didn’t buy one,” she said. “I had no idea how many bad things are in the plastics. It’s unbelievable.”

Polycarbonate bottles are still safe to drink from, according to Nalgene’s Web site. The company intends to monitor any future studies on the health risks.