Leaving Plastic Water Bottles in Your Hot Car is Risky
Is that bottle of water you found on the floorboard of your car or left sitting in your center console safe to drink after sitting in the sun for several or more hours? While staying hydrated is essential, especially during warmer months when you’re more prone to dehydration due to sweating, keeping plastic bottles in your car for prolonged periods of time may cause the water inside to become contaminated. In 2014, a study found antimony and bisphenol A (BPA) leached into water when left at 158 degrees F for four weeks. The amount of BPA in the water increased with time up to it’s highest amount in four weeks. According to a 2019 report published by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, antimony is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. Antimony poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water. It’s not just plastic bottles that have been left in hot cars for weeks at a time that can present serious health hazards; any type of opened bottles left in the car could be putting you in harm’s way too. You should never drink from a bottle that’s been once opened and closed and left in a hot space, since it’s a perfect environment for different bacteria to grow.
What are most plastic bottles made of?
A normal plastic bottle is made from BisPhenol A (BPA), an organic synthetic compound. BPA in plastic bottles is an endocrine disruptor that can dissolve into the water and can lay path to health problems such as:
- Neurological issues
- Reproductive issues
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High Blood Pressure
- Cancer
Moreover, it damages the normal functioning of endocrine gland, thereby making conceiving difficult among the young. Presence of BPA in plastic bottles used for feeding children is also considered dangerous because they can cause adverse impacts in the growth of children.
Safer alternatives to plastic water bottles:
Avoiding single-use plastic water bottles would help prevent danger from health issues and environmental problems. People must be advised to carry reusable food grade water bottles to stay hydrated. Like the ones mentioned below.
- 304 grade stainless steel
- Copper bottles
- Normal or Borosilicate glass bottles
Metal and glass bottles serve as a sustainable alternative and can be reused by cleaning and refilling with good quality water. Here are some of the top alternative bottle brands:
- Porter Glass Bottle
- Soma
- Ello Wren
- Yomious
- Contigo Quick Twist
- Takeya
- Yeti
- Iron Flask
- S’well
- Simple Modern
Next time you’re out and thirsty, skip the plastic bottles and choose the better alternatives. One step closer to bettering your health!
Resources:
www.bestlifeonline.com
www.prewellabs.com
www.foodandwine.com
www.verywellfit.com