3 Ways Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles Could Harm You

How easy is it to pick up a single-use plastic bottle of water and drink it? Unfortunately, what’s most convenient isn’t always the healthiest. For decades you’ve heard about the harmful effects of plastic on the environment, but taking that simple swig of water from your single-use plastic water bottle could be more dangerous than you think. Here are three ways that using a single-use water bottle can be harmful to the human body. 

1. You’re Ingesting Chemical Particles 

One study found that when people drink water from single-use plastic water bottles, traces of chemicals have been found in the human body. These chemicals can lead to unusual hormone levels and other health problems in your body. 

2. You Could Be Drinking Actual Plastic

Some studies have shown that 93% of the water from single-use water bottles contained microplastics. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm. When drinking from plastic and ingesting these microplastics, you’re drinking all of the chemicals in that plastic. Sound appetizing? 

3. The Water is Not as Clean as You Think

Yes. We’ve all seen the ads for water bottles that have us sipping water from a fresh mountain spring. That's advertising. The truth is that 25% of the water from single-use water bottles comes from the tap. In some cases, scientists have found small traces of mold, phthalates, trihalomethanes, and even arsenic in some water.  

So you might want to think twice about buying that single-use water bottle. It’s not the best for you or the environment.  But it does remain essential to drink plenty of water. Be sure to drink from a vessel (like a HidrateSpark smart bluetooth water bottle) that you know is healthy.