Chinese scientists have revealed a new danger from drinking from plastic water bottles, especially on hot and sunny days.
Previous studies had warned that chemicals linked to hormonal imbalances, such as bisphenol A, could leak from these plastic containers, but the recent study published this month identified a new danger from these bottles, especially when left in the sun.
In the study published in the “Environment and Health” magazine, scientists from the Chinese University of Jinan analyzed the mixture of gases emitted from 6 types of plastic water bottles when they were exposed to sunlight.
The containers were obtained from different countries, and included spring water, distilled water, and artesian water, and a complex mixture of different chemicals was emitted from the containers, with great variation between the different types of water, and among these many chemicals that were discovered was the substance “N-hexadecane.” (N-Hexadecane) is highly toxic and carcinogenic, along with many other known carcinogens.
But the study also pointed out that “given the small mass of a single bottle, the volatilization of these potentially toxic compounds from an individual bottle would be minimal.”
However, such research adds to a growing body of evidence that bottled water is not free of contamination.
The study’s authors emphasized that understanding how environmental conditions affect chemicals released in bottled water can help guide manufacturers and regulatory bodies to ensure product safety and support public health.