Sarah Lawson, a food safety expert from Storage Box Shop, explained: “Do not drink bottled water that has been left in the sun or a hot environment, like a car.
The heat can cause harmful chemicals to leach from the plastic into the water.”
According to Sarah, when bottled water heats up, chemicals from the plastic can get into the water.
These chemicals, like BPA and phthalates, can be harmful if you drink them.
Drinking water with these chemicals can make you feel unwell and cause health problems.
She warned of the following side effects from drinking this water:
- Stomach issues: You could feel nauseous or get a stomach ache
- Headaches: These chemicals can give you a headache
- Dizziness: Feeling lightheaded or dizzy is another symptom
- Hormone problems: Some chemicals can mess with your hormones, causing more serious health issues over time.
To avoid this happening she recommended always storing your bottled water in a cool place and avoid leaving it in direct sunlight.
You could also keep your bottled water in a cooler with ice packs.
Before you drink bottled water, check if it feels warm. If it does, it’s better to get a fresh bottle.
Sarah added: “Staying hydrated is important, but drinking water that has been left in the heat is not safe. Always keep your bottled water cool to protect your health.”
In one study, published in Environmental Pollution journal in 2014, researchers exposed plastic water bottles to four weeks of intense heat at 70C.
As a result of this they found that some antimony and bisphenol A (BPA) had leached into the water.
However, in the 16 water brands studied, only one exceeded US Environmental Protection Agency limits for BPA levels.