What About Reusable Containers
Water bottles that can be used repeatedly are most often made from high-density polyethylene or polycarbonate. HDPE is largely accepted by recycling programs , but polycarbonate is more difficult to recycle .
To make those bottles hard and shiny, manufacturers often use bisphenol-A or BPA, a compound that has come under fire for its toxicity. BPA is an endocrine disrupter, which means it can disrupt normal hormone function and lead to a slew of dangerous health issues. Studies have linked the compound to breast cancer.
The FDA bans BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups, but has found no evidence to support additional restrictions.
Plastics 101
Regardless, many manufacturers have responded to consumer concerns by making their products BPA free.
BPA free does not necessarily mean safe,” says Taylor. She notes that bisphenol-S is often used as an alternative even though its “structurally similar to BPA and turns out to have very similar properties.
Fewer studies have been done on what happens to water when left in reusable water containers in high temperatures, but research done by pouring boiling water into polycarbonate indicated that more BPA leached out as a result.
The bottom line is that glass is better than plastic, wherever possible, says Taylor. Otherwise, the message should be to keep the water bottle in a bag or covered when not in use and not to leave plastic bottles in a hot car as temperatures rise fast at this time of year.
What Is Fluoride And Where Is It Found
Fluoride is the name given to a group of compounds that are composed of the naturally occurring element fluorine and one or more other elements. Fluorides are present naturally in water and soil at varying levels.
In the 1940s, scientists discovered that people who lived where drinking water supplies had naturally occurring fluoride levels of approximately 1 part fluoride per million parts water or greater had fewer dental caries than people who lived where fluoride levels in drinking water were lower. Many more recent studies have supported this finding .
It was subsequently found that fluoride can prevent and even reverse tooth decay by inhibiting bacteria that produce acid in the mouth and by enhancing remineralization, the process through which tooth enamel is rebuilt after it begins to decay .
In addition to building up in teeth, ingested fluoride accumulates in bones.
How Is Fluoride In Drinking Water Regulated
Fluoride is not required in all drinking water sources in the United States, but the levels of fluoride in water are regulated by several government agencies.
Starting in 1962, the United States Public Health Service recommended that public water supplies contain between 0.7 and 1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter of drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. This recommendation was updated in 2015 to a fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L, The change was made in part to account for the fact that people now get more fluoride from other sources than in the past.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum amount of fluoride allowable in drinking water of 4.0 mg/L. Long-term exposure to levels higher than this can cause a condition called skeletal fluorosis, in which fluoride builds up in the bones. This can eventually result in joint stiffness and pain, and can also lead to weak bones or fractures in older adults.
The EPA has also set a secondary standard of no more than 2.0 mg/L to help protect children from dental fluorosis. In this condition, fluoride collects in developing teeth, preventing tooth enamel from forming normally. This can cause permanent staining or pitting of teeth.
States can set maximum fluoride levels in drinking water that are lower than the national 4.0 mg/L standard.
For bottled water with no fluoride added, the maximum fluoride level allowed is 2.4 mg/L .
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Can Bottled Water Left In Car Cause Breast Cancer
bottled waterleftcarcan lead to breast cancer
. Considering this, can leaving a water bottle in your car cause cancer?
No. There is no good evidence that people can get cancer from using plastics. So, doing things like drinking from plastic bottles or using plastic containers and food bags won’t increase your risk of cancer.
Also, is it safe to drink bottled water left in the sun? Drinking from a single water bottle left in the hot sun won’t hurt you, but experts say consumers should avoid persistant exposure to plastic containers left in extreme heat.
Thereof, can you drink bottled water left in hot car?
Some researchers who study plastics recommend against drinking water from plastic bottles that have been sitting in hot places for a long time such as a car sizzling in the sun concerned that the heat could help chemicals from the plastic leach into the water.
Does plastic cause breast cancer?
Chemicals and breast cancerBPA is a synthetic compound widely used in manufacturing plastics and has long been a target by campaigners as an alleged cause of cancer. There is no convincing scientific evidence to back up claims that pesticides or chemicals found in plastics cause cancer in people.
Where Did The Idea That Drinking Alkaline Water Will Prevent Or Treat Cancer Come From
Some research has shown that tumors are acidic and that this acidity may help tumors grow and survive. Because of this, some people have hypothesized that eating alkaline foods or drinking alkaline water can help prevent or treat cancer.
The idea gained attention in 2002 with the publication of a series of pH Miracle books by Robert O. Young, who promoted the theory of an alkaline, or high pH, diet to treat and prevent disease, including cancer. Young later served time in jail and was ordered to pay over $100 million to a person with cancer who chose not to receive standard cancer treatment and instead followed his theories about an alkaline diet.
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The Link Between Cold Water And Cancer
There are some who strongly believe that drinking ice water with or after a meal is generally bad for you. They suggest that doing so will solidify the oily foods we consume. The consolidated mass will then react with stomach acids, converting it into fats that are more readily absorbed into the intestines than solid foods.
It is thereafter believed that, as nutrients are rapidly absorbed from the resulting sludge, the remaining fats are left to accumulate on the intestinal walls, leading to the development of things like stomach or colorectal cancer.
Plastic Water Bottles Left In Car Could Lead To Breast Cancer
MINOT You may want to think twice before leaving your plastic water bottles in the car.
In todays Your Health First, a study from Arizona State University says that leaving your water bottle in your car for too long with just little exposure to heat and later drinking from it could cause breast cancer.
The reason a chemical reaction happens when the plastic bottle is heated. One local doctor said to err on the side of caution.
There is no definitive research that says, yes this is the case, however, dont leave your plastic water bottles in the car, its that simple. If they do get a little overheated the water could start to taste different and that might be a personal thing for me, but I just dont leave plastic water bottles in the car anymore, said Dr. Fariha Saleem.
Dr. Saleem stressed to get your cancer screenings, regardless if you feel symptoms or not.
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Whats The Difference Between Tap And Bottled Water
But Cheryl Watson, a professor in the biochemistry and molecular biology department at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, advised people not to store bottled water in places that have a significant amount of heat, like a garage or a car parked outside.
When you heat things up, the molecules jiggle around faster and that makes them escape from one phase into another. So the plastic leaches its component chemicals out into the water much faster and more with heat applied to it, Watson told TODAY.
Its kind of like when you put mint leaves in your tea. The heat extracts the mint-tasting molecules and it happens faster in hot tea than it does in cold tea.
Does Bisphenol A Cause Cancer
Food and drink thats stored in plastic with BPA doesnt cause cancer.
Some people thought that chemicals that in some plastics, like bisphenol A could get into our food or drink and then cause cancer.
Studies have found that certain chemicals in plastics may end up in things we may eat and drink. But the levels are very low, and within a range considered safe to humans. This is even true in experiments where plastics are heated for hours at a time.
Other studies have suggested some chemicals found in certain plastics have cancer-causing effects. But these experiments involve human cells in a lab, or animals. These are very different from how people would come into contact with plastics in their everyday life. And they dont give good evidence on cancer risk in humans.
For example, in these studies, lots of a chemical may be put directly on to one type of cell. This wouldnt happen in the human body.
There are many cancer myths that havent been proven to cause cancer. However, there are proven causes of cancer, and things you can do to reduce your risk.
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Whats The Big Picture
Ultimately, the amount of trace chemicals a person might consume from a plastic food or beverage containers left in the heat wont derail their health. But Halden says we should be concerned about how much plastic we surround ourselves with on a daily basis.
If you drink water from one PET bottle, will that hurt your health? Probably not, he says. But if you go through 20 bottles a day, then the question of safety is an entirely different one.
He notes that the cumulative effect of being surrounded by plastics in the goods we buy or microplastics in our water has the biggest potential health impact.
Personally, Halden opts for a metal water bottle instead of a reusable plastic one when trying to stay hydrated on the go.
If you dont want it in your body, dont increase the material flow of it into society, he says.
Claim #: Dioxins Cause Breast Cancer
The Claim : Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue.
Verdict :False
The Truth : Dioxins are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are suspected to increase cancer risk. However, a published in the journal Breast Cancer Research showed that this might not be the case.
The team analysed the diet of over 63 thousand women, and followed them for 15 years to determine the effect of dietary dioxin on their breast cancer risks.
In the end, they concluded that an increase in dioxin intake did not correlate with an increase in the risk of breast cancer.
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Email Hoax Regarding Freezing Water Bottles And Microwave Cooking
The Internet is flooded with messages warning against freezing water in plastic bottles or cooking with plastics in the microwave oven. These messages, frequently titled Johns Hopkins Cancer News or Johns Hopkins Cancer Update, are falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins and they do not endorse their content.
Freezing Water Does Not Cause The Release Of Chemicals From Plastic Bottles
In general, it is best to follow the manufacturers recommendations when using any plastic products. When cooking with plastics, only use those plastic containers, wraps, bags and utensils for their intended purposes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service has some helpful guidelines for cooking with plastics in microwave ovens. .
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Health Concerns Over Drinking Bottled Water Left In Hot Cars Addressed
MONTGOMERY, AL – Does drinking a bottled water left in a car cause health problems? Sheryl Crow thinks so.
Crow made headlines when she went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and claimed that her breast cancer was caused by drinking water from a plastic bottle she’d left in her car. However, doctors say that’s not the case.
“I don’t know how she would get it in a large enough amount to cause breast cancer,” said Dr. Kidd from AFC PriMed Urgent/Family Care in EastChase.
Not only that, but messages have been circulating online, warning consumers not to drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
“There have been studies saying yes it’s harmful, and some saying no it’s not coming out in an amount that’s enough to harm you,” said Kidd.
Supposedly the heat from the car causes cancer-producing toxins to leak from the plastic into the water. The toxins can be harmful if the Bisphenol A. used to make certain plastics leaks.
“If that BPA leaked into your water, which may have a higher likelihood if it’s in a hot car, then it could cause problems,” said Kidd.
She said that the threat of any health problems from drinking a bottled water you found in your car is minimal.
“It’s a very minimal threat, but I’m not saying to not pay attention to it. I would say don’t leave the water bottles in the car, but you may just want to avoid those, that type of bottle in the first place and just use ones that are BPA free,” Kidd said.
Copyright 2017 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.
Most Read
The Claim: Heat Reacts With The Chemicals In Plastic Water Bottles And Releases Harmful Dioxin
Do water bottles leach a cancer-causing chemical when exposed to extreme heat?
A Facebook user shared an image of a warning sign on Oct. 3, 2019, that had the words, “Bottled water in your car is very dangerous!”
The two-year-old post generated nearly 160,000 shares, most of them early this October as the post found renewed life online.
According to the post, singer Sheryl Crow said on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” that she got breast cancer from dioxin from a water bottle that had been left in a hot car.
“Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in the car,” the post says.
“I posted that 2 years ago, it was sent from a family member so I decided to post,” the Facebook user told USA TODAY. “Didnt double check the info, but up until 3 days ago, it had thousands of shares and comments and likes.”
The same warning was , and it generated more than 15,000 likes in less than a day. That post has since apparently been removed.
But, the claim is off the mark. Heat does react with the plastic of the bottle to release chemicals in a process known as “leaching.” However, dioxin is not one of those chemicals, experts say.
USA TODAY reached out to social media users who shared the post for comment.
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Plastic Water Bottles Exposed To Heat Undergo ‘leaching’
Plastic water bottles are known to leach chemicals into water, and the process of leaching is facilitated by heat, according to Halden.
“So the hotter it is, the more readily the transfer occurs of things from the plastic polymer into the water that’s stored in the plastic container,” he told USA TODAY.
The type of chemicals released depends on the type of bottle, according to Halden. Polycarbonate reusable plastic water bottles are made of bisphenol A, which has been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including functioning like a hormone mimic and as an “obesogen,” or fattening chemical, in animal studies.
Polyethylene terephthalate, which is commonly used for single-use disposable plastic bottles, is known to leach a harmful metal, antimony, that can cause lung, heart and stomach problems.
Don’t Blame The Water Bottle
I’ve repeatedly been asked about the circulating email that claims Sheryl Crow blames her breast cancer on chemicals leaching out of water bottles and warns women to never keep bottled water in the car in summer. Well, first of all, Sheryl didn’t actually say that her breast cancer was caused by having left water bottles in a car. And what if she had? Is Sheryl an icon of science? Hardly. Unfortunately the singer was diagnosed with breast cancer, and when such a calamity occurs, people commonly look for possible causes of their affliction. The lay press is filled with articles demonizing plastics, mostly in an unjustified fashion and Sheryl likely heard about chemicals like bisphenol A and the phthalates that have been accused of causing cancer.
Sadly Sheryl Crow now has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. She wonders whether this was caused by her use of a cell phone. Not according to the vast majority of studies. Cancer is a terrible disease and in most cases the cause is unknown, which of course opens the door to all sorts of speculation. I think bottled water should be shunned. But not because of any cancer connection. It is an environmental disaster. Only a small percentage of the bottles are recycled and using valuable petroleum resources to make bottles that are totally unnecessary is foolish. But the bottled water industry has done a wonderful job convincing the public that they need to pay for something that is widely available for free.
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Water Fluoridation And Cancer Risk
Many decades after fluoride was first added to drinking water in some parts of the United States, there is still controversy about the possible health effects of drinking water fluoridation. Many people have strong views either for or against water fluoridation. Their concerns are based on everything from legitimate scientific research, to freedom of choice issues, to government conspiracy theories.
This is a review of the possible link between water fluoridation and cancer. Other possible health effects of fluoridation are not addressed here. This is not a position statement of the American Cancer Society.