Plastic water bottles must not be exposed to extreme heat and sun, warns a study by the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI).
The study has highlighted that heat and UV radiation can have great adverse impact on the quality of the water. The study emphasises that plastic bottles must be kept under normal temperature.
Heat and solar exposure weakens the bottle and can release chemicals, such as antimony and lead, from the container into the drinking water. Both of these elements have been shown to have negative effects on health, including cardiovascular effects, if consumed over a prolonged period of time.
Therefore, bottles should be carefully protected from extreme heat and sun.
This is as simple as not leaving water in plastic bottles in a car during the summer months.
It was as part of a study on the  quality of water used in Qatar that the QEERI team investigated how people’s behaviour can influence the quality of water.