Health

As Summer Heat Rises, Plastic Water Bottles In Cars Pose A Health Risk

Studies have shown that when plastic bottles are subjected to heat, BPA, microplastics, and other dangerous chemicals leach into water.

A Reminder For Drinking Water

With temperatures rising, we all know that staying hydrated is a crucial component in staying healthy. Being active in hot weather can lead to dehydration and pose serious health problems. But the heat can bring unexpected health problems with drinking water, too.

Something as simple as leaving a water bottle in the car on a hot day can pose a health risk. Studies have shown that when plastic water bottles are exposed to heat, they begin to leach BPA, microplastics, and other dangerous chemicals into water. These chemicals have been associated with hormone imbalance, gastrointestinal irritation, and even cancer.

This might happen more quickly than you think. On an 80 degree day, a parked car can reach 110 degrees in less than thirty minutes. That shift in temperature is more than enough to change the migration of BPA in bottled water, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

(MORE: Is Sunshine The Key To Managing Type 2 Diabetes?)

Because drinking water is such a daily necessity, even exposure to small amounts of a chemical like BPA from water bottles can accumulate into a health risk through repeated exposure.

So, how can we stay safe and hydrated on a hot day without risking exposure to dangerous chemicals? Experts suggest that stainless steel and glass bottles are a safer alternative for drinking water.

That’s true year-round, not only on the hot days ahead.

Weather.com writer Wyatt Williams is exploring the relationship between weather, food, agriculture, and the natural world.

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