Plastic bottles, easy and light to carry around but when they are exposed to sunlight, they turn dangerous for us. Researchers discovered water in plastic bottles turns toxic under sunlight.
Research conducted by the Jinan University and the Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health highlights how sunlight transforms plastic water bottles into a source of air pollution. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from 6 types of plastic water bottles exposed to UV-A and sunlight were analyzed.
Highlights
- All bottles that were tested emitted a complex mixture of acids, alkanes, alcohols, alkenes, and aldehydes.
- Significant variations in VOC composition and concentrations among bottles were also identified.
- Highly toxic VOCs and carcinogens like n-hexadecane were also identified.
- Prolonged exposure to sunlight indicated increased VOC concentrations, pointing to increasing cumulative risk.
Researchers found out a cleaner path to control water and transform greenhouse gases, study suggests.
Conclusion
The research provided a better understanding that water in plastic bottles turns toxic under sunlight and of the conditions under which these VOCs are released. This made it possible to improve manufacturing processes and material selection of water containers.
With the results unveiled, it is clear that enhanced consumer awareness is needed. Moreover, stricter industry regulations need to be implemented to reduce the exposure of potentially harmful compounds.