Plastic bottles, widely used and reused in Moroccan households, present health risks because they release toxic microparticles into the water, especially under the effect of heat. Experts recommend limiting their reuse and favoring safer alternatives such as glass or stainless steel.
While some discard plastic bottles after the first use, others reuse them by filling them with tap water or another liquid. Still others continue to drink from it for days.
Based on the results of numerous international studies, it appears that those who adopt these practices are unaware that these habits constitute a danger to their health. As confirmed by the Moroccan Federation of Consumer Rights, in reaction to the controversy surrounding mineral water, what it calls “zero risk” in the consumption of water in plastic bottles “is not a guarantee” and that the risk is still present, because these bottles contain microscopic toxic particles. She also recalled that 2022 saw a similar controversy with another well-known brand.
A danger threatening the stomach
Mohamed Tahiri, university professor specializing in chemistry and expert in water and environmental engineering, explained that drinking water treatment plants use techniques that purify water of heavy metals, microbes , viruses, solid materials and microscopic insects, and that the water is subjected to daily laboratory analysis before reaching the tap.
The director of the scientific research laboratory at Hassan II University in Casablanca clarified, in his explanations to SNRTnews, that drinking water is disinfected with bleach, which provides 24-hour protection, thus guaranteeing that the water is protected against microbes during its transport through the pipes.
Evoking again the risks to which the consumer is exposed, Tahiri, who is part of a team of experts working on water treatment projects in Morocco, stressed that the water sold to the consumer can be natural mineral water, but also simply purified water, to which certain mineral salts are added.
Tahiri also insisted on the fact that international scientific research has demonstrated, in recent years, that plastic can degrade in drinking water and, even more, that this degradation can generate even more dangerous substances if the bottle plastic remains exposed to heat, for example in a car, or if water is stored in it for several days before being consumed. These are habits adopted by many citizens.
The danger here lies, as Tahiri explained, in the fact that this degradation does not release living microbes, but toxic plastic substances. These substances reach the stomach, remain in the intestine or folate, or pass into the blood, because they are not digested. Although they do not multiply, their accumulation can lead to cancer.
This is why he recommends that citizens purchase these waters based on their daily consumption only, that they do not use the bottles several times, and that they avoid storing them in the refrigerator for reuse. He also advises against filling them with oil, milk or other liquids, as many people do.
Toxic particles
From a scientific point of view, plastic bottles contain polluting particles or chemicals that can leach into water or food stored in them over time or under certain conditions, such as exposure to sunlight .
Polluting chemicals that can migrate from plastic primarily include BPA (bisphenol A), a chemical used in the manufacture of certain types of plastics such as polycarbonate. BPA can be found in water or food and disrupt the human hormonal system, being recognized as an endocrine disruptor.
They may also contain phthalates, chemical compounds used to make plastic more flexible. Studies indicate that this substance can cause growth and development problems, as well as hormonal disorders.
Additionally, some plastic bottles contain flame-retardant chemicals sometimes used in the manufacturing process, as well as traces of lead or cadmium. How to reduce pollution?
Hassan Belkbir, doctor and expert in public health and health policy evaluation, stressed that water pollution can be biological, namely by viruses, bacteria or parasites, or chemical, through microscopic particles originating from plastic.
He explained, in a press statement, that chemical pollution is caused by plastic microparticles, which are present in our environment and which we consume daily in food, drinks and the air we breathe.
He also clarified that there are no studies precisely defining the side effects of these microparticles on human health, stressing that drinking water, including that in plastic bottles, is strictly controlled.
Belkbir agrees that certain commercial practices, or related to consumption habits, can increase the presence of these particles, such as excessive exposure to heat, cooling of bottles after exposure to high temperatures, or the transfer of water from one plastic bottle to another for repeated use, or when the trader stores the bottles in inappropriate conditions before selling them.
He emphasizes that the problem does not only concern mineral water, but also soft drinks, and that there are no precise studies to determine the health risks.
Experts recommend checking the recycling symbols on bottles, avoiding plastics with the PVC and BPA symbols, in favor of those with the PET symbol, which is most used for bottled water and is generally considered safer for single use. They also advise avoiding exposing plastic bottles to heat, not reusing them, and opting for stainless steel or glass bottles, which are safe materials and free from chemical leaks, while filtering water
