Do plastic water bottles contain toxins that cause cancer?

Hyderabad: A post claiming that plastic water bottles contain toxins that cause cancer has gone viral on social media.

The viral post warns, "Bottled water in your car is very dangerous!"

It further adds, "The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a chemical found in plastic which causes cancer and are highly poisonous to our bodies."

Single-use plastic bottles are undoubtedly nature's enemy but do plastic bottles release dioxins that cause cancer? Let's find out.

FACT CHECK

NewsMeter performed a keyword search that led to an article by Cancer Council titled "Does drinking water from plastic drink bottles cause cancer?" It said there is no good scientific evidence to support this claim.

"For many years, people have been circulating hoax emails claiming that drinking water from plastic bottles can cause cancer, especially if they have been left in cars, or frozen and reused. There is no good scientific evidence to support these claims. Many of these emails credit the warnings to Johns Hopkins University or the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but both institutions have denied any involvement. The emails also claim that heating, freezing or reusing plastic water bottles releases chemicals from the plastics that could cause cancer, including dioxins. However, the plastic in water bottles contains no dioxins at all," it said.

According to Clean Water Action, "Most bottled water is sold in plastic #1, also known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET)."

Quoting a research, it added, "Research shows that PET may be an endocrine disruptor, altering our hormonal systems. Although this type of plastic is BPA free, phthalates in bottles can still seep into your water, especially when exposed to high temperatures or stored for an extended period of time."

The article further said, "Some companies, such as Poland Spring, use plastic #7 for their 3-gallon water bottles. This type of plastic contains BPA, which has been banned in countries around the world, including the European Union and China, due to its toxicity. BPA exposure is linked to multiple health effects including fertility issues, altered brain development, cancer, and heart complications."

It should be noted that plastic bottles that contain BPA cause cancer.

A 2019 report by The New Indian Express titled "Is your water bottle causing cancer?" said the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) banned the use of BPA in feeding bottles for babies in 2015. "A study by Toxic Links earlier this year found traces of BPA in some bottles and cups in the Indian market," it reported.

It should be noted that only BPA-free bottles are safe to use and have no harmful effect on our health.

Hence, the post is misleading.