Is Drinking From A Frozen Plastic Water Bottle Safe?

Few beverages are more refreshing than ice cold water, and sticking a plastic water bottle in the freezer is an excellent way to prepare some for yourself. However, you may be hesitant to do this after seeing claims that it isn't safe and could even cause cancer.

There is validity to the idea that keeping plastic water bottles at certain temperatures might not be safe. Specifically, you may want to think twice before drinking a plastic water bottle left in a hot car. Some experts told TODAY that leaving your water bottle in a hot environment could cause chemicals from the plastic to seep into the water at a faster rate. Even this is a debate between researchers, though.

What is not debated is that freezing a water bottle is pretty much harmless. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actually recommends freezing water bottles so that you can "take one with you for ice-cold water all day long."

According to the American Cancer Fund, claims that frozen water bottles can release chemicals that lead to cancer are often attributed to Johns Hopkins University, but the university does not support this idea. In fact, Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Rolf Halden has said that these claims are nothing more than an urban legend, adding that freezing actually hinders the release of chemicals because they "do not diffuse as readily in cold temperatures" (via Snopes).

Moreover, experts say it is doubtful that plastic water bottles even contain DEHA or dioxins, the main concerns raised when it comes to the topic of freezing water bottles. Even if plastic water bottles did contain DEHA, there is no evidence that it would lead to cancer, reports Snopes.

With that said, the CDC recommends making sure that any water bottles you put into the freezer are freezer-safe.