Studies have shown that reusable plastic bottles contaminate water with hundreds of potentially dangerous toxic substances from the walls of the vessel. And if the bottle has been in the dishwasher, then the number of such elements increases to thousands.
Several hundred different chemical compounds have been found in tap water stored in reusable plastic bottles. Some of them are dangerous to human health, and some are completely unknown to the scientific community. This discovery was made by scientists from the University of Copenhagen, according to the EurekAlert website.
The university decided to study what chemicals are released into the liquid when using soft plastic bottles. Specialists filled both new and used containers with ordinary clean tap water and left them for a day. The bottles were tested both before and after machine washing, as well as after five additional rinses in tap water. The composition of the water was then analyzed using mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. The results were unexpected. Scientists were stunned by the large number of chemicals found in the water after 24 hours of storage: more than 400 different substances from bottle plastic.
More than 400 substances from the bottle material itself and more than 3,500 substances were found in the water. Many of them are potentially dangerous to human health, meteovesti.ru reports.
Recently, some brands have been developing their own eco-friendly containers for storing products. Carlsberg Corporation, together with scientists from the Technical University of Denmark, is developing the world’s first fully biodegradable bottle for its drinks. The bottle will be made from wood fibers and will be much lighter than traditional glass containers. This will not only allow you to send all bottles for recycling, but also save on transportation costs. Using special production technology, it is also planned to reduce energy consumption.
Environmentally friendly, biodegradable and antimicrobial eco-packaging was invented by scientists from Singapore and the USA. The packaging is made from corn protein, known as zein, starch and other naturally occurring biopolymers, which are infused with natural antimicrobial compounds: thyme oil and citric acid.
Food packaging can withstand several uses and last for several months. Eco-friendly material can be used to store raw meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and ready-made dishes. Moreover, scientists believe that innovative packaging material will extend the shelf life of fresh fruit by 2-3 days. In the experiment, strawberries remained fresh for a week instead of the usual four days, Ecology Today reports.