A research undertaken at the University of Copenhagen finds a large number of different chemical matter in tap water filled in reusable plastic bottles. A number of these chemical matter are potentially harmful to human health. The points at need for better regulation and manufacturing standards for manufacturers, say chemists behind the study.
This is evident from the strange taste of water after it is stored in reusable plastic bottle for a period. This is indicative of a solid, yet worrying reason for this.
A team of two researchers at the University of Copenhagen have investigated the chemical matter that is released into liquids by soft plastic reusable bottles that are commonly used. The findings were quite shocking.
The amount of chemical substances found in water after storing in bottles for 24 hours is shocking. The water contained hundreds of substances that were never found in plastic earlier, as well as matter that are potentially harmful to health.
A dishwasher cycle of the plastic bottles filled with water led to several thousand chemical matter, stated one of the research associates.
The researchers detected above 400 different substances from the plastic and more than 3500 substances from the dishwasher soap. Besides this, a considerable portion of unknown substances are yet to be identified by researchers. Meanwhile, the toxicity of at least 70% identified chemicals remains unknown.
Photo-initiators present in water stored in plastic bottles are worrisome for the researchers. These substances are known to have potentially detrimental effects on health of organisms such as being carcinogens or endocrine disruptors. Furthermore, researchers found a range of plastic softeners, antioxidants, and release agents used in the manufacture of plastic, as well as diethyltoluamide, which is commonly known as the key toxic substance in mosquito spray.