Page 62 - Prevention - USA (April 2020)

SCI E NCE

MYTH #5
Reusing a single-use
water bottle makes it
leak carcinogens.

MYTHBUSTER Rinsing and reusing a
bottle a few times will not cause it
to leak carcinogens. In fact, it’s not
clear that any known carcinogens
are used in making these bottles.
What is true is that reusing plastic
containers—including food
containers—for a long time with
repeated exposure to high heat
may result in some release of a
different group of chemicals, says
Marji McCullough, Sc.D., R.D., senior
scientific director of epidemiology
research at the American Cancer
Society. These are phthalates, which
some scientists argue may act as
endocrine disruptors, messing
with our reproductive hormones.
Plastic releases chemicals, and
this increases over time, with
exposure to higher temperatures—
say, microwaving a plastic lunch
container or leaving a water bottle
in a hot car—causing “higher
migration of chemicals,” says Jane
Muncke, Ph.D., chief scientific
officer for the Food Packaging
Forum. Bottom line: It’s fine to
clean and reuse a single-use bottle
in a pinch, but if it is warm, pitch
it. Your safest bet? Buy a reusable
bottle made from glass or stainless
steel, says McCullough.

60 PREVENTION.COM • AP R I L 2020