Scientists have revealed disturbing reasons why consumers should never re-use store-bought water bottles and takeout containers.
They found that adding more water to and heating up ‘single-use’ plastics causes them to shed nanoplastics and toxic chemicals that seep into your food and liquids.
These bottles and to-go containers are made from types of plastics designed to only be used once and disintegrate more easily than sturdier plastics such as those used in Tupperware items.
Re-using the products also causes exposure to styrene, found in synthetic rubber and plastics, which can increase the risk of esophageal and pancreatic cancer.
Sherri Mason, a professor and director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend compared the effects to the way humans shed skin cells.
‘We know at this point that our skin is constantly shedding,’ she said. ‘And this is what these plastic items are doing — they’re just constantly shedding.’
Plastic contains on average 16,000 chemicals — 4,200 of which are considered to be ‘highly hazardous,’ according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
‘Normal humans looking at a sample of water — if there’s visible plastic in it, they’ll be turned off,’ Mason said. ‘But they don’t realize that it’s actually the invisible plastics present that are the biggest concern.’
Nanoplastics are so small they can travel into a person’s blood, liver and brain when they cross the gut, allowing them to pass through cell membranes and enter the blood stream.
‘There is a real significant potential human health impact that is associated with re-using plastics, whether you’re talking about beverages or food,’ Mason told the Washington Post.
Although no cases of particle consumption have been definitively linked to cancer, the accumulation of these nanoparticles in human tissues has been found to increase chemical toxicity that can lead to serious health problems including cancer and developmental defects in children.
A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University released earlier this year found that the average bottle of water contains 240,000 particles, marking the first time researchers were able to identify plastics in single-use bottled water.
This is despite the assurances that bottled water is healthier than drinking tap water, but researchers warned that it is nothing more than a marketing ploy.
‘You still have a lot of people that, because of marketing, are convinced that bottled water is better,’ Mason told The Post. ‘But this is what you’re drinking in addition to that H2O.’
Heating plastic will also increase the rate at which a single-use bottle or a fast-food container will release nanoplastics and toxic chemicals into the water or food.
Even leaving plastic in the sun can cause the toxins to seep into the food, but Rob Danoff, an osteopathic family physician in Philadelphia, said a main rule is to never microwave plastic.
When plastic is heated, the heat breaks down the molecular structure which releases the chemicals but said this does depend on the type of plastic you’re using and the type of food you’re heating up.
‘Fatty foods, like meats and cheeses, reach very high temperatures and may cause the plastic to warp or melt,’ Dr Danoff said on the American Osteopathic Association site.
‘This, in turn, has the potential to cause a chemical to seep out of the plastic and into the food,’ he added.
If you’re unsure whether the plastic can be heated, you should look at the bottom of the product where it will have either a microwave-safe symbol or instructions telling you it is safe to microwave.
Products that don’t indicate whether or not it is safe are likely among those that will release chemicals and nanoplastics into your food.
‘The important thing is to always read the labels of your plastic containers carefully before you put them in the microwave,’ Dr Danoff cautioned.
‘If you are unsure, then it’s best to heat your food in a microwave-safe container made of a different material, such as glass or ceramic.’
And in terms of water bottles, experts advise people use products made of stainless steal or glass.
