What Happens if We Refill Water Bottles?
According to Treehugger.com, the U.S. uses 1,500 plastic bottles every second. To alleviate this problem, many people find it easy and cost effective to continue to refill the same plastic water bottle over and over again. While convenient, you should know that there are a few health concerns to doing this.-
Bacterial Contamination
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The University of Calgary conducted a study with 76 elementary school children. Reused water bottle samples were collected from each child, and one-third of the samples were contaminated with bacteria, and some even contained fecal coliforms. While some of the bacteria can be attested to the fact that the research was conducted with elementary students, the same findings could occur with adults if proper hygiene was not practiced.
Toxins from Plastics
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Most water bottles are made from a plastic called polyethylene terephthalate. According to a University of Idaho study, with enough repeated refills, this type of bottle has shown to contaminate the water with toxic chemicals. One such chemical is di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate which, according to the study, is "a carcinogen that has been shown to cause liver damage and reproductive problems."
Freezing Water Bottles
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Many people choose to freeze their bottles so they have cold water throughout the day. Some believe that freezing the bottles may cause toxins to leak into the water. According to the FDA, it is safe to reuse and freeze water bottles. The FDA claims that there is no scientific research to back the claim that freezing a bottle causes toxins to be released.
Properly Cleaned Bottles May Be Safe to Reuse
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The FDA also refutes the claim made by the University of Calgary study. According to the FDA, if properly cleaned with soap and warm water, a plastic bottle is safe to reuse. The FDA study claims that di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate does not contaminate the water when a bottle is reused.
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