Drinking water from plastic bottles has negative environmental impacts and potential health risks due to chemicals like DEHA and BPA. Reusing plastic bottles can encourage bacterial growth, while glass and metal are preferred as they can be sterilized easily. Look for recycling codes on the bottom of bottles to determine safety.
There are a number of things you may want to think about when grappling with the question of whether or not it is harmful to drink water from plastic bottles. Bottled water certainly has a negative environmental impact and also carries some potential health risks. After evaluating these issues, you may want to switch to glass or metal water containers or start using durable plastic water bottles designed to be used safely again and again.
From an environmental point of view, drinking water from plastic bottles is very bad. Plastics require a lot of energy to produce and do not decompose very quickly. People who drink water from plastic bottles designed to be disposable contribute heavily to landfill content and overall pollution caused by manufacturing the bottles, bottling the water, and shipping the water.
Since few standards govern the contents of bottled water, many people are surprised to learn that their fantastic bottled water is actually plain tap water, retrieved from a tank. You can save a lot of money by drinking tap water, which is even better for you, as tap water is regularly tested for contamination. This is also more environmentally friendly, as you can reuse water bottles by filling them at the tap.
However, when you reuse plastic bottles, you run the risk of encouraging bacteria to grow in your water bottle. Many bacteria love moist environments, and your well-used plastic water bottle can harbor a complex biofilm of organisms, some of which could make you ill. This is one reason why metal and glass are preferred, because they can be easily sterilized, reducing the risk of ingesting bacteria.
There is also debate over the answer to the question of whether drinking water from plastic bottles is safe, reused or not. Some people believe that plastic releases chemicals that are potentially hazardous to human health, and that by drinking water from plastic bottles, people will ingest these chemicals, putting their health at risk. Other people believe that while plastic certainly contains hazardous substances, the leaching ability of these substances is questionable. Despite several studies, none have settled firmly on one side or the other.
A number of harmful chemicals are at issue in the debate, most notably the carcinogen di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) and bisphenol-A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor. Studies indicate that some plastics contain these substances and there is a potential for leaching, especially when hot water is involved, as the heat can encourage the plastic to leak and in the bottle, the escaping vapors have nowhere else to go. go if not directly into your water.
However, not all plastics are created equal and you should look at the recycling code on the bottom of a bottle for more information. Hard plastics with the numbers two, four or five are generally considered safe to drink and reuse, while bottles with the numbers one, three, six or seven may pose a leaching risk and you should avoid them.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
