Mixed signals on safety of leaving plastic bottles in summer heat.
MISSOULA, Mont.
Hot water on a hot day is no fun, but if it’s a plastic water bottle the plastic can break down and release substances into the water that could be toxic.
In the late 2000s numerous studies like this one showed the chemical compound commonly called BPA could leach into the water in reusable plastic bottles such as those manufactured by Nalgene.
Health impacts from BPA are still nebulous, but there is evidence it can disrupt hormones because it acts like estrogen.
DEHA, the email continues, is not even used in plastic bottle construction.
​ A study in India showed levels of compounds that could be potentially toxic in certain brands of PET bottles were far below World Health Organization safety limits after months of testing.
However, a 2014 study by the University of Florida found antimony and BPA did leach into plastic bottles.
But the testing under weeks of temperatures approaching 160 degrees showed leaching of antimony and BPA far below unsafe levels.
Despite the findings the lead scientist on the study, Lena Ma, advocated in a press release by the university to not leave plastic water bottles in the heat for long periods or for even a hot afternoon in a car.