Reused plastic bottles may seem like a simply harmless health risk, but many may be mistaken. Studies at a Calgary elementary school found bacteria in nearly one-third of reused water bottles by kids. Even washing the bottle may accelerate the breakdown of the plastic and diffuse the chemicals e through the bottle even faster. Simple disposable plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which is harmless for the first time, but breaks down over time. The main component that appeared in nearly all the tests was DEHA which is known as a carcinogen. It also causes weight loss, liver problems, and possible reproductive problems.
Unknown Terms:
- Polyethylene terephthalate: a thermoplastic polymer of the polyester family that is used in synthetic fibers to make bottled water
-DEHA: A chemical used in some plastics
The reason that I chose this article is not because we are studying water, but because I am a frequent user of reused water bottles. The fact that I could be ingesting chemicals that could possible give me cancer is a big scare. A simply harmless way to save some money and not buy any new bottles could be potentially fatal. There has been some research done and many people use Nalgene bottles which do not breakdown and seep plastic chemicals into the water. That is why they are used in plastic dishes in chemical labs. Now that I know what the plastics can potentially do to my system really makes me think twice about reusing plastic bottles.
Osorio, Sonia. Reusing Water Bottles May Pose Health Risk. Patient Care, Mississauga. March 2003. Vol.14, Iss. 3, pp. 9
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1 comment:
I would probably put this in the area of a little caution rather than a big scare. If well washed, the bottle probably has no more bacteria than other household dishes. This hard type of plastic takes a long time to break down so leached monomers of the plastic would not be at anything near dangerous levels unless you used the bottle for a very long time. We tend to worry about every little potential problem in this society while in fact, some are a large threat and some are virtually none. Don't reuse any container for drink or food without careful washing, though.
DVE
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