As Summer Heat Rises, Plastic Water Bottles in Cars Pose a Health Risk

Something as simple as leaving a water bottle in the car on a hot day can pose a health risk. Studies have shown that when plastic water bottles are exposed to heat, they begin to leach BPA, microplastics, and other dangerous chemicals into water. These chemicals have been associated with hormone imbalance, gastrointestinal irritation, and even cancer.

This might happen more quickly than you think. On an 80 degree day, a parked car can reach 110 degrees in less than thirty minutes. That shift in temperature is more than enough to change the migration of BPA in bottled water.

Because drinking water is such a daily necessity, even exposure to small amounts of a chemical like BPA from water bottles can accumulate into a health risk through repeated exposure.

So, how can we stay safe and hydrated on a hot day without risking exposure to dangerous chemicals? Experts suggest that stainless steel and glass bottles are a safer alternative for drinking water.

That’s true year-round, not only on the hot days ahead.