Be careful of the plastic bottles you leave in your car: They slowly poison your body.

Researchers found that antimony (a toxic heavy metal) and bisphenol A (BPA) leached from bottles into the water under these conditions. Antimony can cause short-term effects like headaches, nausea, and sleep disturbances, as well as long-term health problems like pneumonia and stomach ulcers. BPA, on the other hand, increases the risk of cancer, fertility problems, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

According to CDC data, on a 27-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 40 degrees Celsius in just 20 minutes. If this period continues for an hour, the temperature can reach 59 degrees Celsius. Experts emphasize that these conditions accelerate the leaching of chemicals from plastic bottles.

Research conducted by McGill University in Canada and Columbia University in the US has shown that micro- and nanoplastic particles leach into water from plastic bottles exposed to high temperatures. The Columbia scientists found that one liter of bottled water contains an average of 240,000 plastic particles, small enough to enter cells directly, including the bloodstream and brain.

Recent findings also indicate that nanoplastics can cause DNA damage, alter gene activity, and trigger cancer development. A study conducted in Iran reported that traces of microplastics were found throughout colorectal cancer tissues.

Researchers at London-based Deep Science Ventures have warned that chemical exposure has devastating effects on fertility, the immune system, and child development, and have called for urgent action from policymakers. "Failure to act could lead to irreversible consequences for human health and the ecosystem," they warned.