Plastic Water Bottles May Be Harming Your Health

Plastic water bottles these days can be found here, there, and everywhere. They are a convienient and overpriced source of fresh cold water for us during the day as we all know. What most consumers do not know is that depending on the type of plastic the water is bottled in it can be harmful to your health. Most bottled water comes in the familiar clear plastic bottles like Dasani or Aquafina and others and this type of plastic is in fact the most potentially dangerous. These clear bottles are made of a type of plastic known as polyethlene terephthalate or PET for short. The problem with it is that it degrades over time and as this degrading occurs the plastic will then begin to harbor a variety of germs and bacteria which can be harmful. Most scientists believe that if the bottles are used one time only that there is little to no real health risk. If the bottles are reused and refilled over and over then the possibilty of a build up of harmful bacteria can lead to various types of health issues down the road for consumers. Doctors and scientists alike advise the public that there is a safer alternative if you are interested in saving some money by refilling your plastic water bottles and reusing them. A safe type of plastic bottle is known as HDPE. It is a high desity polyethylene. It is softer, and it is more opaque in appearance than the clear plastic that is more dangerous. Scientist have reported that there are no known health problems assossciated with it and have given the public a green light for its use and reuse. The one drawback with it is that it is not nearly as cool looking as a clear Dasani or Aquafina bottle but it is much cooler and safer healthwise however.