Water Can Go Bad Too: When You Shouldn't Drink It

We all know that food and drinks tend to spoil. In your refrigerator, most likely, right now there are foods that were once healthy food, and now ... not so much. But one of the main components of our lives that may seem immune to this corruption is water. Why this is not so and in what cases you should not drink it, the publication said. Lifehacker.

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Many people believe that water is a fairly fundamental compound, and it contains nothing other than a group of hydrogen and oxygen, so there doesn't seem to be anything that can go bad there. It makes sense when your tea goes bad, but water seems so impenetrable that looking at the expiration date on a water bottle seems ridiculous. But this is not entirely wrong. Water doesn't rot or spoil like many foods, but it definitely has an expiration date.

When tap water goes bad

Your faucet water has most likely been treated with chlorine, which helps protect it from microorganisms that could harm you. But this water will continuously react with carbon dioxide in the air, lowering the pH of the water and making it more acidic, which can make it taste interesting.

On the subject: Bottled water has an expiration date: why it matters

In addition, uncovered water will pick up dust and other substances from the air, which will make things worse. Eventually, this process may even make you nauseous, although the water will have to stand for a very long time before it becomes dangerous, not just disgusting.

At the same time, the added chlorine releases gases and is washed out, making the water more attractive to organisms. A glass of tap water left overnight might taste weird, but it's probably safe to drink from a health standpoint. But water that stands for a very long time should be avoided, especially if there are clear signs that some creatures live in it.

As for storing water, generally tap water can last for about six months if it is kept in food containers that have been sanitized. After this, the chlorine treatment will no longer be effective and microorganisms may begin to grow there. This includes filtered water. The filter can perfectly remove harmful substances from tap water, but at the moment when the water interacts with the atmosphere, all these processes start. This ultimately results in a glass of water that is tasteless at best and potentially nauseating at worst.

When bottled water goes bad

Commercially bottled water lasts longer than open water, but eventually it also spoils. Bottled water is clean and the plastic (mostly) prevents micro-organisms from getting in there, but the problem lies in the plastic itself. The plastic is not completely impermeable, so the water will very slowly react with the air on the outside of the bottle to evaporate and provide a small, but not zero, chance of contamination. More importantly, chemicals from plastic can slowly seep into water, a process accelerated by exposure to heat and the sun. These chemicals can be dangerous in large amounts, but there probably aren't enough in a water bottle to harm you, but it will ruin the taste. This is why old bottled water sometimes has such a "plastic" taste.

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The rule of thumb for bottled water is that it can be used for about two years if left closed and stored in a cool, shady place. Once that bottle is opened, the clock speeds up because you are part of the equation. The moment your lips or fingers (or any other part of your body) touch a container of water, you introduce microorganisms into it. Over time, they can grow and thrive, which makes reusing a water bottle without cleaning it a surefire way to get foul-tasting water and possible illness. And if you leave bottled water open, exposed to the air, the same degenerative process that spoils tap water will work on it.

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