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Health risk Always rinse plastic water bottles before reuse
To stay healthy, every person needs to drink enough fluid daily. If you refill it with plastic water bottles, they should be rinsed beforehand. Otherwise, there are health risks due to bacteria.
Health hazards caused by bacteria
Every person needs to drink enough fluid every day to stay healthy. On the question of how much water we should drink, opinions differ slightly. Most experts say it should be about 1.5 to three liters a day. The amount should be distributed throughout the day and not be drunk at once. Many people often have water bottles with them to quench their thirst. If you use disposable plastic bottles and refill them, they should be rinsed beforehand. Otherwise, there are health risks posed by bacteria.
Image: Markus Mainka Water from glass bottles less loaded
Although plastic bottles have long been for environmental reasons in the criticism. And they are afflicted with a poor health reputation, since, according to experts, among other things, the estrogenic exposure to water from PET bottles is much higher than in water from glass bottles. Nevertheless, according to environmentalists, the proportion of plastic bottles in the German beverage market has risen again recently. People who use plastic water bottles often refill them to reduce the impact on the environment. But actually, disposable plastic bottles are not meant to be used several times. Experts point out in an earlier article in the journal "Practical Gastroenterology" that the manufacturers of packaged water do not recommend consumers to reuse the disposable bottles.
Rinse plastic water bottles before reuse
This is justified by the fact that the "daily wear by repeated rinsing and reuse can attack the plastic, whereby it becomes visibly thinner or cracks. Bacteria can become trapped in these cracks and pose a health risk. "It should be noted that the bottle should be washed out with a mild dishwashing liquid, rinsed well - but not with very hot water - and should exclude" external damage "before use. But reusable bottles can be attacked by multiple use of bacteria. The authors write: "Bacteria that can lodge themselves in the cracks and scratches of the bottle seem to present a greater health risk than the possibility of daily risking chemicals escaping from the plastic."
Bottles designed for one-time use
Cathy Ryan, a professor of earth science at the University of Calgary, has been involved in previous research on the subject. She told the "Huffington Post" that "bacteria grow when they have the right conditions," such as nutrients through "backwash", humidity and the right temperature. "Not rinsed bottles offer all this," says the expert. It also reports on Scott Belcher, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Cincinnati, who has studied the release of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) in various types of water bottles. He said these bottles were "designed to be used [once] and then disposed of and not reused." The scientist also said, "Heat dissolves more chemicals from the plastic, of course." Belcher recommends alternative glass bottles with protective frames stainless steel bottles. He said to the Huffington Post, "If you need to buy a plastic bottle, I recommend polypropylene bottles that are usually made of white plastic." But these too must be kept clean to minimize bacterial contamination. This means that you have to rinse the bottles and let them dry before they are reused. (Ad)