Table of contents:
- Why is drinking water from a warm plastic bottle a risk?
- Dangers of drinking water from warm plastic bottles
- Occasionally it's still okay, but don't get used to it
Carrying drinking water in plastic bottles everywhere is indeed a practical and healthy choice. On a scorching hot day, a bottle of drinking water can be a thirst saver. However, many say drinking water from a warm plastic bottle is a health hazard. Either the bottle gets warm because it is kept in the car for a long time or due to direct sun exposure.
Is it true that drinking water from a warm plastic bottle is risky? Or is it just a myth to scare people? Check the answer here!
Why is drinking water from a warm plastic bottle a risk?
Plastic drinking bottles are made from a mixture of various chemicals. If not consumed directly, these chemicals do not endanger health. However, if it is heated or heated, it is likely that the chemicals that make up the plastic are leached into your drinking water. Drinking water that has been contaminated with these chemicals can harm your health in large quantities.
You may often leave plastic water bottles in your car for hours on end. This is of course risky because when it's sunny outside, the temperature inside your car can reach over 37 degrees Celsius. Especially if the sun is shining hot and your car is not parked in the shade. Left in the car, warm plastic bottles can poison your drinking water.
According to research by experts from the University of Florida in the United States, most plastic bottles sold in the market are not heat resistant. After conducting experiments by heating bottled drinking water from various brands, it was found that the content of antimony and bisphenol A (also known by the acronym BPA) can be separated from plastic and mixed in drinking water.
Dangers of drinking water from warm plastic bottles
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimony is a chemical substance that has the potential to be a carcinogen. Carcinogens themselves are compounds, substances, or elements that can cause cancer in human cells. However, new antimony will have a negative impact on your body if consumed in large amounts. Meanwhile, the amount of antimony that decays in your drink is insignificant.
Meanwhile, BPA itself has caused a lot of controversy among scientists for a long time. The reason is, there are no valid conclusions about the dangers of BPA to the body. So far, the dangers of BPA have only been confirmed in experimental subjects, namely rats. It is known that exposure to BPA can cause tumor cell growth. However, further research is still needed to confirm the dangers of BPA to human health.
So far, every packaged beverage product sold on the market is monitored by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (POM). In addition, the production must also meet the Indonesian National Standard (SNI). As long as your drink has passed the POM and SNI testing, its antimony and BPA content are still classified as safe for health.
Occasionally it's still okay, but don't get used to it
According to Lena Ma, a professor who led the research from the University of Florida, actually occasionally drinking from a warm plastic bottle is still allowed. However, if you frequently store plastic bottles in your car or in a place that is exposed to direct sunlight, you are at risk of being contaminated with high doses of antimony and BPA.
So, before buying bottled drinking water, make sure there is an official label from the POM and SNI. Then store your bottled water in a cool place away from direct sunlight. That way, you avoid the risk of cancer or other diseases.
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