What happens when sunlight hits plastic of water bottle?

Question

i have heard the bottled water may not be much more purified than tap water because when sunlight hits the plastic of the bottle, it releases some sort of "carbon-something or rather" that is not healthy. i do not quite remember exactly what i have heard.

what is the truth?

what happens when the sunlight goes through the plastic of the bottle into the water?

Answer 1

the heat excites the h20 molecules speeding them up, releasion sediment that'd normally be attached to the plastic..

Answer 2

It's actually untrue.  If you are refering to disposable plastic water bottles, the sun passes through it and does not alter the plastic, and does not release toxins.  The danger is that it heats the water into the perfect temperature for bacteria to multiply, so that when you drink it again, it can cause problems like food poisoning, etc.  

The other problem is with reusable plastic water bottles that are made with bisphenol A (Like those unbreakable nalgene bottles, some baby bottles, etc).  As time passes, this substance leeches into the water,  and is a known carcinogen. This effect is amplified when the bottle is filled with hot water, as a lot more of this substance is released.

Answer 3

The bottle would have to be outside for months for that to be a problem.