Drinking Water Bottle "Bugs"

Drinking water bottles are ubiquitous in the U.S. -reproduce rapidly in an empty plastic drinking
and in many other developed countries as well.water bottle.
Children carry drinking water bottles to school.Consider this. Each time you take a drink from
Parents carry drinking water bottles as theythat drinking water bottle, you deposit bacteria
commute to work, children's soccer games, etc.from your mouth on the rim of the bottle. If you
Some people have begun carrying drinking waterrefill the bottle without washing it, you simply flush
bottles to church with them. Athletes alwaysthe bacteria into your water. The problem is
seem to have a drinking water bottle with them.compounded if the bottle is empty for a while,
Convenienceand allowed to get warm. Bacteria then have an
A major reason for using drinking water bottles isideal environment for reproduction.
the convenience they offer. Water can be takenBut They Are MY Bugs
almost anywhere. Drinking water bottles involveMany (not all) of the bacteria are indeed from
little cost, and their loss is not a problem. Whenyour mouth. However, in your system, your body
they are empty, they need not be carried home.regulates them at reasonable levels. Bacteria in
They can simply be placed in a recycle bin orthe drinking water bottle are no longer regulated.
other waste disposal.They can reproduce rapidly. In addition, other
What happens, though, when drinking watergerms will enter the bottle from the air, mingling
bottles are not recycled?with those from your mouth.
The DangerWashing Helps
Disposing of drinking water bottles is the bestWashing the bottle thoroughly will destroy most
idea, but many people refill them. If they emptyof the bacteria. The bottle must be washed after
the bottle while jogging, they stop and refill it at aeach use, before refilling. You must wash the
water fountain. If they have a filter at home,neck of the bottle and the entire inside. This
they refill drinking water bottles from the filter. Atmeans you cannot stop for a refill at the drinking
work, they may refill a drinking water bottle fromfountain in the park. You cannot refill it at the
the water cooler. Each time, they may be puttingwater cooler and take it back to your desk. The
healthy drinking water into the bottle, but is this aonly way to have healthy drinking water is to use
safe practice? Or is there danger in refillingdrinking water bottles only once, or wash them
disposable drinking water bottles?thoroughly before refilling.
The danger is not, as claimed by an old internetSince very hot water is the best way to get the
urban legend, that the bottles will break down intobottle clean, a dishwasher is recommended. You
carcinogenic compounds. That plastic scarewill have to place the bottle on the top rack, since
originated with the master's thesis of anthe plastic is not designed for high temperature.
undergraduate student who did not conductWhen the wash cycle ends, remove your drinking
sufficient scientific study before publishing hiswater bottle immediately before the dry cycle
thesis. USFDA standards control the type ofcan begin.
plastic used for bottled water.FREEZE OUT
Can plastic drinking water bottles break down?Finally, when you take the clean drinking water
Can plastic leach into the water when you refillbottle from your dishwasher, place it into the
them? Possibly. It is said that some bottles, evenfreezer immediately. This will keep germs from
those approved by the USFDA, do indeed leachgetting into the bottle. It will also keep mold from
into water - even before you open the bottle.forming. When you are ready to use it, take the
Bacteriaclean drinking water bottle from the freezer, fill,
Although your plastic drinking water bottles mayand cap.
not break down into cancer-causing compounds,Disposable plastic drinking water bottles are
and may not leach plastic into your water, theyconvenient, but don't sacrifice your health.
do contain bacteria. Bacteria can grow and