Today, will be exploring why you should never drink water from a warm plastic bottle. While drinking from a single warm plastic bottle won't necessarily hurt you, experts are now saying that persistently doing so may lead to more of a problem than you bargained for. So why should you avoid drinking from a warm plastic bottle? Let's find out.
The Dangers of Drinking from a Warm Plastic Bottle
According to a recent article from National Geographic, you may want to think twice before reaching for a warm plastic bottle to quench your thirst this summer. In the article, Rolf Halden, director of the Center for Environmental Health Engineering at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, warns against this, saying, "The hotter it gets, the more the stuff in plastic can move into food or drinking water."
Plastic water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate. Whenever a bottle is heated, the material releases the chemicals bisphenol and antimony, also known as BPA. There have been studies to suggest that this chemical can cause adverse health effects in children. Additionally, antimony is considered a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization.
How Do BPA and Antimony Affect the Human Body?
Both BPA and antimony have been linked to a variety of health issues. BPA, for one, has been linked to causing reproductive, immunity, and neurological problems. Additionally, BPA has impacted the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's, metabolic disease, childhood asthma, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Research also suggests that BPA can negatively affect children's behavior.
What about antimony? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), everyone is exposed to low levels of antimony in the environment. Short-term exposure by inhalation results in effects on the eyes and skin. On the other hand, chronic exposure has been linked to respiratory, cardiovascular, and reproductive effects. Additionally, while antimony is not classified as a carcinogen by the EPA, exposure via inhalation has been linked to the growth of lung tumors in rats.
How Likely Are Negative Health Effects from Drinking from a Warm Plastic Bottle?
So how worried should you be about drinking from a warm plastic bottle? Put simply, it widely depends on how often you're doing so. Ultimately, based on these results, the amount of trace chemicals that a person might consume from a plastic bottle left in the heat isn't likely to cause serious health issues. That being said, experts warn against doing so consistently.
The cumulative effect of being surrounded by plastics or microplastics in our water has the most significant potential impact on our health. For this reason, Halden (among many other experts) recommends opting for a metal water bottle rather than a disposable or reusable plastic water bottle for staying hydrated on the go – especially in the summer when plastics are exposed to heat. Additionally, although not part of her original study, Ma supports tap water (regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency) over bottled water.
