VERIFY: Is it safe to drink water from a plastic bottle left in a hot car?.
It’s a popular rumor online: a post claims “A friend of ours became very sick after drinking water left in a car overnight and she was ill for a couple months … Bottled water in your car is very dangerous!” (Photo: WBIR) The post claims chemicals like dioxin can leech from the bottle into the water, so 10News’ Verify team set out to find the real dangers of plastic water bottles.
His research focuses on environmental chemicals’ affect on human health – in particular, dioxin.
SOURCE: Dr. Jiangang Chen “Oh, it’s an urban myth,” Chen said.
“… I don’t think there’s real risk inside the water bottle.” Chen went on to say he often drinks from disposable plastic bottles, and sometimes leaves them in his car overnight.
Though he did note: if a bottle has spent weeks or even months in a hot car, he would avoid drinking it, because high-temperatures over time could potentially begin to break down the bottle.
“I do not tell my patients to avoid drinking water from a plastic container,” Newman said.
Microwave-safe Containers Prof. Chen highlighted another part of the post, which warns against microwaving food and beverages in plastic containers.
Verify Conclusion So is it safe to drink water from a plastic bottle after it’s been in your car for a few days?
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