Against the backdrop of a “dangerously hot” July and August, experts in East Texas warned of an insidious heat-related risk lurking in a seemingly benign item, KLTV reports.
What’s happening?
AccuWeather indicated portions of East Texas were under a Heat Advisory lasting from Aug. 14 until Aug. 20.
On Tuesday, temperatures approached three digits, with heat index values anticipated to climb as high as 110 degrees.
A form of extreme weather, Ready.gov defined extreme heat as “a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for at least two to three days.”
Meteorologists and public health experts advise certain measures when a Heat Advisory is in effect: avoiding unnecessary exertion and the sun, staying in an air-conditioned environment, and drinking “plenty of fluids” to prevent heat-related illness.
Unfortunately, while hydration is critically important when temperatures skyrocket, experts warned East Texans of a related and perhaps lesser-known danger.
Bryan Tuten, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Texas at Tyler, spoke to KLTV to warn East Texas residents about water bottles and microplastic ingestion.
Tuten likened the polymer plastic from which water bottles are manufactured to strands of spaghetti, in the way the latter forms a difficult-to-separate clump when cold. Hot pasta is easier to separate, he explained, and plastic breaks down in much the same fashion.
At around 75 degrees, plastic water bottles don’t break down all that much. However, people often transport and store water bottles in their cars, where ambient temperatures can soar.
“The crucial temperature that that starts to happen in is around 140 to 170°F, which is very normal to get to inside of a hot car in the summertime. It’s at that point that it starts to become more likely that you’re going to pull particles or chemicals into your water,” Tuten said.
Why is that concerning?
Microplastics are particles of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters in size — and while their effects have yet to be fully quantified, a growing body of evidence links them to a number of adverse health impacts.
Their small size allows microplastics to penetrate virtually every part of the human body, as well as soil, the ocean, rivers, and remote areas like Antarctica.
Ongoing research identified potential reproductive impacts, vascular damage, and cancer linked to exposure to microplastics.
Dr. Wei-Chin Ho, an assistant professor of biology at UT Tyler, cautioned East Texans about a higher risk of microbial contamination in extreme heat. While his warning concerned bacteria, it aligned well with what Tuten discussed.
“Just because you can not see [it] does not mean it is not there,” Ho said.
What can be done about it?
Staying aware of environmental risks like microplastics is important as scientific understanding of the issue evolves.
It’s difficult to avoid plastic entirely, but using less plastic — particularly for personal water bottles and tumblers — is a great way to reduce direct exposure to microplastics.
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