Does the water left in plastic water bottles left in the car get contaminated with plastic chemicals?

Question

Should you not drink the water from plastic water bottles left in the car or exposed to heat for a long time?

Answer 1

You should avoid drinking any liquid from any plastic bottle, as some plastic starts leaching into the liquid immediately, and more so if it is ever heated. Same with aluminum cans, you drink a bit of that metal with every sip, multiply that by a thousand times, and metal accumulates in your body. Drink from glass or ceramic containers only.

Answer 2

I am seeing some ridiculous answers out there. Here are the facts: First, its a matter of time, temperature, and most of all, common sense.

Almost all plastics breath to some extent and this increases in warmer temperatures. Aromas to which the bottle is exposed are both absorbed into the plastic and transferred to the product bottled. Water, being a tasteless product, is most noticeable.

All plastics have minute and inert chemical tastes that leach into the products more rapidly when the plastic is warmer. In both cases, these are at most a few parts per million (this varies by plastic type).

But if your leave your bottled water in your trunk with your motor oil or or cleaning solvents,...or in your fridge next to an onion, the taste of the bottled water is going to change over time. Again, we are talking parts per million with the most breathable films, much less with the barrier plastics used in making bottles.

Those who talk about plastic carcinogens, or big company profits do not know about the bottled water packaging and process businesses. The packaging itself is much safer than the air we breath, and you can put your money in the bank and make much better returns than those bottling water.

Answer 3

Yes it does. The sun causes the plastic to heat up and release the toxins into the water. Then when you drink the water you are also drinking the toxins. I have heard that the release of these toxins are related to the rise in breast cancers particularly in woman and other cancers in everyone else. So it is recommended that you do not leave bottled water in the car and that any left out in the heat and direct sunlight should be thrown out. All the best.

Answer 4

Recently on the news I have heard of people becoming sick and even dying from using water from re-used plastic bottles that are meant for a single use only. I would prefer you were careful and not drink the water under those circumstances. I have a bought a stainless steel thermos flask and carry my water in the car in that. I live in the tropics so to me, this makes good sense. I get refreshing water and I don't worry about contaminents.

Answer 5

You should be paranoid! It can be very health devastating if you don't take care of it! A little trick, my mother taught me was to put one drop of maple syrup in each bottle right in the water and maple syrup has a cleaning agent that purifies the water again! You won't have any weird tastes or anything it will taste perfectly normal!

Answer 6

I would be more worried about why you would be thinking of drinking water that has been left in a hot car. Yuck!

Answer 7

I would not drink it myself as I know that is will have a bad taste as any drink left in a hot car will.

Answer 8

ok well thank you for proving my fact that hteir is stupid people in the world and also to answer your question; no it will not harm you it is said it can be better for you to brink from bottle waters than tap water, and also if you drink hot water is not to good for you but the colder the water is it will burn more calories becuase your body has to work harder for the cold water so colder the better but hot water will not kill or harm you!!!!!

Answer 9

that wouldn't be as gross as what happened to me.... i was 10 and my mom had a diet coke can in her car and i was thirsty so i drank from it only to find out it was old and she had been using it as an ashtray....

and now I am a smoker.