What are the dangers of reusing plastic water bottles?

Plastic Bottles and Bacteria Growth It’s best to reuse plastic water bottles sparingly and wash them thoroughly because germs spread so quickly. Additionally, wear and tear on the bottle from reuse can create cracks and scratches in the surface where more bacteria can grow.

What are the dangers of water bottles?

Bottled Water Often Contains Toxins From The Plastic BPA and other plastic toxins can then make their way into your bloodstream, which can cause a host of problems including various cancers as well as liver and kidney damage.

Are reusable plastic bottles safe?

Many reusable plastic bottles are advertised as free of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which was commonly used in plastics until studies linked it to hormonal disruptions in humans. (The Food and Drug Administration has said that BPA is safe at low levels.)

What happens when you don’t wash your water bottle?

So it’s not shocking that reusable water bottles, left unwashed, can become a breeding ground for bacteria and a safe haven for poop particles. Whether plastic or metal, screw top or squeeze, bottles that go days between cleanings can leave us gulping down germs with every drink.

Is bottled water toxic?

Contaminated bottled water can harm your health, including causing gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may be more likely to get sick from some contaminants.

Are plastic bottles safe?

All in all, water in plastic bottles should be safe to drink, and no less so than water in metal bottles or any other type of container. If they have contaminants in them, they are likely to be found at tiny concentrations.

Can you get a bacterial infection from a water bottle?

Infectious Disease Studies have shown that water bottles that go uncleaned for one week contain 300,000 bacteria cells per square centimeter. That’s more bacteria than in a dog’s water bowl, according to a recent article in USA Today.

How long can I reuse a plastic bottle?

The FDA says you should wash the bottle out with hot soapy water between each use. If you do that, you can reuse your plastic water bottle as long as it doesn’t appear to be breaking down or showing any cracks, which really depends on how often you use it.

Which number plastic bottles are safe to reuse?

However, numbers 2 (high density polyethylene), 4 (low density polyethylene), and 5 (polypropylene) should be safe.

How dirty are reusable water bottles?

According to testing done by EmLab P & K, reusable water bottles carry all sorts of germs. Here is a brief look at the results: Reusable water bottles can be crawling with as many as 300,000 colony forming units per square centimeter (CFU/sq cm). By comparison, your pet’s water bowl has on average 43,000 CFU/sq cm.