Credit: UF/IFAS photo
A UF/IFAS researcher warns against leaving plastic bottled water in any warm place, especially in a car, for a long time. Lena Ma, a soil and water science professor, studied plastic bottles in China and found one of 16 brands did not meet safety standards after it was stored in 158 degrees Fahrenheit for four weeks. Plastic water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate. When heated, the material releases the chemicals antimony and bisphenol A, commonly called BPA.