Why you should never reuse plastic bottles: explanation of scientists

Scientists have uncovered disturbing reasons why you should never reuse store-bought water bottles and takeaway food containers. They found that adding water to single-use plastic and heating it causes nanoplastics and toxic chemicals to be released, which leach into your food and liquids.

These bottles and takeaway containers are made of the types of plastic that are designed to be single-use. Therefore, they break down more easily than more durable plastics such as those offered to users for reusable use, MailOnline writes.

Reusing products also causes exposure to styrene, which is found in synthetic rubber and plastics, which can increase the risk of esophageal and pancreatic cancer.

Scientists have found that the accumulation of plastic nanoparticles in human tissue increases chemical toxicity, which can lead to serious health problems, including cancer and developmental defects in children.

A study conducted by Columbia University scientists found that the average bottle of water contains 240,000 particles, marking the first time researchers have been able to identify plastic in single-use bottled water.

Heating plastic will also increase the rate at which nanoplastics and toxic chemicals are released into water or food from a single-use bottle or fast food container.

Even if plastic is left out in the sun, toxins can leach into food, but the main rule is to never heat plastic in the microwave. Because when plastic is heated, the heat destroys the molecular structure, which releases chemicals.

"Fatty foods, such as meat and cheese, heat up to very high temperatures and can cause the plastic to deform or melt. This can potentially cause chemicals from the plastic to leach into the food," explained Rob Danoff, a family osteopathic physician in Philadelphia.

If you're not sure if plastic is microwaveable, look at the bottom of the product, where it will either have a microwave safe symbol or instructions that tell you if it's safe to use in the microwave. Containers that do not state that they are safe are probably among those that release chemicals and nanoplastics into your food. Therefore, it is very important to always read the labels of plastic containers carefully before putting them in the microwave.

"If you're not sure, it's best to heat your food in a microwave-safe container made of another material, such as glass or ceramic," Danoff added.

As for water bottles, experts advise using stainless steel or glass.

Sherry Mason, professor and director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend, compared the effects of single-use plastic to the way people get rid of skin cells: "By now, we know that our skin is constantly renewing itself. That's what these plastic objects do - they just keep shedding skin.

Plastics contain an average of 16,000 chemicals, 4,200 of which are considered very hazardous, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"Most people don't realize that it's actually the invisible plastic that's the most worrisome. That is, you won't see it in the water," the scientist added. Nanoplastics are so small that they can enter the human blood, liver and brain when they cross the intestines and can pass through cell membranes and enter the bloodstream.

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